By Victoria Agyemang
Cape Coast, May 13, GNA – There is the need for the Government to expedite processes to amend the Constitution to rid the country of its current woes and help achieve national cohesion.
Dr Kennette Aikins, a Lecturer at the Department of Legal Studies at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), said if the amendment was not done, the country would continue to work with a flawed Constitution.
“If the amendment is not effected, we will still work with a flawed constitution and continue to suffer as a country.
“Some actions of Government that do not inure to the benefits of the nation could be stopped but since the constitution does not frown on it, you cannot stop it,” he added.
In an address at the annual celebration of the Constitution Week in Cape Coast, Dr Aikins noted that efforts were made some years back to identify lapses and weaknesses in the constitution but failure of successive governments thereafter to implement it was affecting the growth and development of the country.
The celebration was on the theme; “Thirty Years of Consolidated Constitutional Democracy, Building National Cohesion through Civic Education and Participation in Local Governance.”
It was organized by the Central Regional Office of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) with security officers of the Ghana Police and Immigration Services.
Dr Aikins said it would be difficult to achieve national cohesion in this current era due to the weaknesses in the Constitution, some of which were the many discretionary powers given to the Executive.
Others included the Judiciary, which was not entirely independent and unable to execute its mandate fully as expected because they depended on government for subvention and therefore could not criticize it when it went wrong.
He noted that decentralization had failed because the powers needed at the local level to executive its duties were no longer being adhered to and the Central government was still controlling affairs at that level.
The amendment, he noted would empower Ghanaians more to respect and abide by the constitution governing the country.
“We have high hopes in the President to expedite amendment of the constitution because he is a champion of the rule of law and human rights.”
He therefore called on the President to accelerate the amendment and begin experimenting it for a changed Ghana.
Dr Aikins noted that the amendment should be a process, where all the relevant bodies would be engaged to fully participate in the deliberation and dialoguing to ensure that a strong constitution was put in place for development.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Simon Boafo, Central Regional Staff Officer on behalf of the Regional Commander, advised officers to deal with civilians professionally to strengthen confidence and trust they had in the service.
He told them to study the constitution well to understand how to manage issues for peace and harmony to prevail.
DSP Boafo urged them to see civilians as their family, treat them well to gain back their confidence to enable them give out information freely to help them in executing their mandates.
For his part, Mr Robert Ewur, the Central Regional Director of NCCE expressed concern that many young people were not conversant with the contents of the constitution.
He said it was proper to use the week scheduled to celebrate the cconstitution and raise awareness about the need for everyone to be abreast with the Supreme Laws of the land to learn the constitution.
The Commission, through the celebration, would interact with the public, displayed civic messages on the duties of a citizen and intensify public education on constitutionalism.
Also, it would distribute copies of the 1992 Constitution to the public to emphasize the importance of the cconstitution as a living document in every facet of their lives.
GNA