The former Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law, Professor Kofi Quashigah, has attributed Ghana’s recurring calls for constitutional amendments to public dissatisfaction with governance, stressing that constitutional review will remain a continuous exercise if citizens remain unhappy with political leadership.
He made the remarks at a high-level policy dialogue organised by the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) in Accra on Wednesday, to examine the legal and institutional safeguards required for the effective implementation of Ghana’s 2025 constitutional reforms.
Professor Quashigah said the focus should now shift to ensuring the successful implementation of the 2025 Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) report.
The dialogue, held on the theme “Towards Effective Constitutional Amendments: The Necessity of Legal and Institutional Safeguards,” was attended by key stakeholders to discuss pathways for successful constitutional reform and implementation.
He explained that the Constitution, as the supreme law of the land, derived its authority from the sovereign will of the people and contains both entrenched and non-entrenched provisions, each with distinct amendment procedures.
He noted that the 2025 CRC report was structured under nine thematic areas, including reforms to the presidency, the political system, natural resource governance, judicial independence, decentralisation, and security sector leadership.
According to him, extending presidential tenure could keep an ineffective leader in office for up to 10 years.
“It is very difficult for an incumbent to lose. So, if you have a bad president in the first term, you are likely to be stuck with that leadership for 10 years,” he said.
Professor Quashigah also stated that bundling several entrenched provisions into a single referendum question would be unconstitutional.
The Governance Programme and Policy Manager at Oxfam, Mr Mohamed Mahamud, said Ghana faced implementation challenges due to delays, selective adoption, and the dilution of reforms through ordinary legislation.
He noted that weak institutional independence, limited resources, opaque appointment processes, and irregular public engagement continue to undermine reform outcomes. He therefore called for the enforcement of timelines and stronger citizen empowerment to demand accountability.
The Executive Director of IDEG, Dr Emmanuel O. Akwetey, called on Ghanaians, particularly the youth, to actively participate in discussions on constitutional amendments.
He stressed that citizen engagement was key to ensuring that reforms are implemented effectively and that the Constitution serves the interests of the people.
BY PRINCE ADDO FRIMPONG
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