The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, is advocating a drastic reduce withinside the quantity of ministers withinside the u . s . to 19. “It is my competition that other than local ministers, the quantity of principal authorities ministers won't should exceed 19, as contained withinside the Constitution, and which means ministries have to additionally now no longer exceed 19,” he stated. Delivering a paper on “The Relevance of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution Within the Context of Global Democratic Practices” at a public lecture on the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi closing Tuesday, he defined that reducing off the extra numbers might considerably lessen public expenditure. “We are caught as a state due to the fact a lot of our ministers do now no longer upload fee to our governance. I am now no longer speaking approximately the modern NPP management. I seek advice from all administrations when you consider that 1993. “The time has come for us to region withinside the Constitution an top ceiling at the quantity of Ministers of State that we have to have,” he stated. The public lecture, which became organised with the aid of using the KNUST, targeted at the query of the want or in any other case for a assessment of the 1992 Constitution. The dialogue included regions which includes the milieu of the crafting of the Constitution, preceding efforts made at change, proof of needs for change from distinguished Ghanaians and situating it withinside the modern worldwide and nearby context. In a no-holds-barred transport that lasted approximately forty minutes, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who's additionally the Majority Leader in Parliament, tackled some of important country wide problems vis-a-vis the Constitution, and the audience, which protected teachers and foremost workforce and college students of the university, couldn't assist however supply him a status ovation on the end. Constitutional provisions Making connection with the 1992 Constitution, the veteran legislator stated the Constitution furnished that there will be a Cabinet which includes the President, the Vice-President and now no longer much less than 10 and now no longer extra than 19 ministers of nation. Explaining that Cabinet ministers assisted the President withinside the evolution of policies, he stated: “So in case you aren't a Cabinet minister, you aren't a part of the procedure of the evolution of policies. That manner that a minister who isn't always a Cabinet minister can't assent to or gift a invoice or settlement to Parliament and, therefore, isn't always a part of the procedure withinside the components of policies.” “If this is the case, why have to we've such massive numbers as ministers withinside the fi rst region?” he asked. Excessive appointing powers The minister additionally expressed fear on the immoderate appointing powers vested withinside the President, mentioning the truth that the President became mandated to employ approximately 5,000 offi cers to go numerous nation companies and institutions. “This, certainly, is a monarch that the Constitution has created for the relaxation people residents to preserve him in awe, and it's far diffi cult to speak instantly to him. This association wishes to be revisited,” he insisted. Acting capacity Quoting appreciably from the Constitution to returned his assertions, the Majority Leader questioned why the VicePresident became mandated with the aid of using the Constitution to behave as President whilst the incumbent became in a foreign country on offi cial obligations. He opined that Article 60 ( 8), which states that on every occasion the President became absent from the u . s ., or for some other cause became not able to carry out the features of his offi ce, the VicePresident shall carry out the ones features till the President returns, became outdated. “Does the mere absence of the President from the u . s . manner he's not able to carry out the features of his offi ce?” he asked. Proceeding to offer an answer, he stated: “This can't be authentic on this technological age whilst the President exits the jurisdiction to carry out offi cial obligations for the u . s .. For instance, whilst attending the UN meeting, he's nonetheless the President.” Vetting of ministers Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated the state of affairs in which a minister who became being reshuffl ed to every other ministry did now no longer undergo every other vetting with the aid of using Parliament have to be checked out once more. “Parliament should vet the man or woman once more for that role for you to fulfill itself that the man or woman has the competence and information for that role,” he stated, including that if that became now no longer carried out, it might be tough to evaluate the competence of the man or woman withinside the new area. He posited that ministerial appointment became critical commercial enterprise and couldn't be decreased to try-and-mistakess due to the fact governance became approximately the lives of the humans. A-G role untenable Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu zoomed in at the features of the AttorneyGeneral (A-G), as furnished withinside the Constitution, and defined them as untenable. He posited that it became unacceptable for the A-G, who's the foremost prison guide to the authorities and additionally in fee of the prosecution of all suspected criminals, to be a minister of nation. “If the A-G is a minister withinside the ruling authorities, certainly, as human as he's, he's going to have a tendency to deal with his colleague ministers with youngster gloves and most effective move after competition factors and previous ministers,” he asserted. Therefore, he stated, it became right and prudent to insulate the A-G and make sure his independence. “For instance, the fame of the A-G may be made equal to that of the Chief Justice or at the least a justice of the Supreme Court. He should now no longer be a minister of nation appointed with the aid of using a President. By that, he's going to traverse numerous administrations and his independence could be guaranteed,” the Majority Leader stated. Electoral Commission’s function Emphasising the principal function the Electoral Commission (EC) performed withinside the democratic procedure, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame stated its commissions and omissions may want to develop or pull away the democratic procedure. He referred to that there have been agitation over the overall performance of the EC, relying on which celebration became in competition. Mr Kyei-mensah-Bonsu stated there has been the want for solutions to be furnished to positive problems regarding the EC. “Should the appointment of the commissioners be subjected to parliamentary approval? Should they be appointed to serve for a defi ned term? Should the club encompass celebration individuals?” he queried. Elections, he stated, had the capability to cause strifes in lots of African countries, which became why Ghana have to now no longer permit any terrible incidents to show up earlier than dashing to combat it. NDPC politically tainted Also at the radar of the Majority Leader became the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), that is a crucial element withinside the improvement time table of the u . s .. He stated the composition of the NDPC, as furnished with the aid of using Article 86, made it politically tainted. “A large majority of individuals of the NDPC are made of ministers of nation, so irrespective of the first-class of the product, if it's far carried out with the aid of using the NPP, the NDC could have not anything to do approximately it, and if it's far carried out with the aid of using the NDC, the NPP does now no longer need to have some thing to do approximately it. “I trust that the supply at the NDPC, specifically with reference to the composition, will should be amended to permit it to performs its function because the foremost motive force of the country wide improvement plan,” he stated. Campaign spending Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu additionally expressed challenge approximately the massive quantities spent in the course of electioneering and stated it bred corruption. He stated at the average, a presidential candidate really well worth his salt couldn't spend much less than GH¢four hundred million earlier than triumphing an election, asking: “Where will the candidate have the cash from?” “There is a nexus among the marketing campaign expenditure and corruption fuelled with the aid of using awards of contracts,” he added. In that context, he careworn the want for Ghana to look for a gadget of governance that might lessen the rot withinside the gadget of governance furnished with the aid of using the 1992 Constitution. Brainstorm The Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, Professor Ellis Owusu-Dabo, who chaired the occasion, stated the general public lecture became initiated with the aid of using the University to permit technocrats, experts and the humans to brainstorm on problems affecting Ghana’s improvement and growth.
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