The Constitutional Review Committee has held public engagement in the Eastern Region as part of its nationwide consultations.
The exercise saw passionate participation by the Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, the Omanhene of the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area, MMDCEs from across the Region, politicians from various political parties, representatives from the business and entrepreneurial sector, security personnel, leaders from faith based organizations, youth activists, retirees, students, professionals, and individuals.
Contributions at the forum centered around empowering traditional rulers and local communities’ participation in natural resource governance, election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, whether to increase the four-year term of a President/Parliament to 5 or more years, reformation of the council of state, appointment of heads of various public institutions and independent bodies particularly the judiciary and Electoral Commission.
Also among the dominant proposals were calls to reduce the age limit for presidential aspirants, and improve enforcement of national laws, including the Disability Act with timelines for legislative instruments.
Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Henry Kwasi Prempeh, described the level of participation as overwhelming – a reflection of the growing public interest in governance reforms.
“They [Ghanaians] all want to now have a bigger role in local government and also when it comes to natural resources, the role of local communities. So I would say that the Ghanaians are thinking, wherever they are, about the same things, roughly.Everybody wants the system of government and of governance to improve.” Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh stated.
He added, “people have thought through a lot of things because they are coming up with roughly, you know, they are very like-minded in the way they are looking at the country. Nobody is pleased with the way this country is run.Nobody likes the political polarisation. Nobody likes the corruption. Nobody likes that”.
Oseadeeyo Dr. Frimpong Manso, Paramount Chief of Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area said re-empowering traditional leadership will help improve governance and protect lands and natural resources from being assigned to foreign interests without community approval.
“If we re-empower some of the traditional infrastructures traditional leadership that used to exist where their powers have been sort of stripped it will help and work cooperatively with government and support government and bring the citizens to Ghana’s governance otherwise certain decisions will be made where in a short time most of our wealth most of our land most of our resources will be assigned to people that are not Ghanaians and Ghanaians will have nothing to actually call that they own the land will be assigned to foreign interests and we believe that if you bring your people in to ask questions why things are being assigned to people that are not Ghanaians it will help the general and improve the governance of the country,” Oseadiayo Dr. Frimpong Manso, Paramount Chief of Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area recommended.
The Constitutional Review Committee is expected to continue its nationwide engagements in the remaining 12 regions having concluded the three northern regions and Eastern Region before submitting a comprehensive report to the President.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
