By Yussif Ibrahim, GNA
Kumasi, March 18, GNA – A coalition of civil society organisations has launched the Ashanti Regional chapter of the CSO/Citizen Platform on Constitutional Reform in Kumasi, aimed at strengthening citizen participation in Ghanaâs ongoing constitutional review process.
âThe platform seeks to amplify public voices and encourage inclusive engagement as the country considers possible reforms to the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
ââMadam Rebecca Ekpe, Deputy Chairperson of the Citizen Platform on Constitutional Reform, speaking at the launch, said the initiative represented an important step toward ensuring that citizens actively contributed to shaping the constitutional future of the country.
ââAccording to her, Ghanaâs Constitution remained the foundation of democratic governance, defining how power was exercised, how accountability was enforced and how citizensâ rights were protected.
ââHowever, she noted that the document must evolve to reflect changing governance realities and the aspirations of the people.
ââMadam Ekpe explained that, although the Constitution had guided the countryâs democratic system under the Fourth Republic for more than three decades, several governance challenges had emerged over the years.
ââThese include concerns about executive dominance, weak separation of powers, limited decentralisation and accountability gaps.
âIt would be recalled that President John Dramani Mahama established a Constitutional Review Committee chaired by Prof. Henry Kwasi Prempeh, Executive Director of Centre for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD-Ghana), to make recommendations for reviewing the Constitution.
ââThe committeeâs mandate included consulting stakeholders across the country and reviewing earlier constitutional reform efforts undertaken in 2011 and 2024.
ââThe committee submitted a summary report in December 2025 and later presented the full report to the Office of the President in January 2026.
âMadam Ekpe said the ongoing constitutional review presents a critical opportunity to rebuild public trust in democratic institutions and reform processes.
âShe observed that previous reform initiatives had stalled, leaving many citizens feeling excluded from decision-making processes.
âConstitutional reform requires active citizen participation because public input helps shape priorities and reduces the likelihood of reforms being undermined by partisan interests,â she said.
âThe CSO/Citizen Platform on Constitutional Reform, launched nationally on November 7, 2025, brings together more than 70 organisations drawn from civil society groups, academia, professional bodies, trade unions, faith-based institutions and policy research organisations.
âThe platformâs activities are coordinated by a 20-member steering committee chaired by Akosua K. Darkwah of the Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) and a professor of sociology at the University of Ghana.
ââThe Deputy Chairperson said that the regional launch was particularly significant because constitutional reform must not be limited to discussions in the national capital.
âInstead, she said, it should reflect the perspectives of communities across the country, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, traditional authorities, professionals and workers in the informal sector.
âShe stressed that the platform was a democratic and non-partisan initiative focused on strengthening governance, promoting accountability, and protecting citizensâ rights.
ââShe called on citizens and stakeholders to actively participate in discussions to help shape reforms that would secure Ghanaâs democratic future.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/George-Ramsey Benamba