Accra, July 7, GNA – In a swift and decisive response to the African Chamber of Content Producers’ (ACCP) petition for mandatory constitutional literacy in basic education, President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Ministry of Education to review the petition and take appropriate action.
The directive was in a formal letter signed by Dr. Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, dated July 2, 2026, and addressed to the Minister of Education.
A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said the letter, which was copied to the ACCP Secretariat, acknowledged receipt of the petition submitted on June 25, 2026, and instructed the Ministry to act accordingly.
“The Ministry is requested to review the petition and take appropriate action on the petition.
The President’s response comes just one week after the ACCP submitted the petition, which called for the introduction of compulsory constitutional literacy into Ghana’s basic education curriculum.
The petition argued that the foundational legal principle “ignorance of the law is no excuse” must be matched by a corresponding duty of the state to ensure that every citizen is taught the supreme law that governs them.
According to the ACCP’s secretariat, their petition was not based on abstract theory but on extensive research conducted across prisons, schools, and communities in Ghana and other African countries.
The findings revealed a troubling reality: most Ghanaians complete their basic education without ever reading the Constitution, yet they can be arrested and imprisoned for violating laws they were never taught.
In interviews with several inmates across Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, the ACCP found that more than 50 per cent of inmates said they did not know their action was illegal at the time of the offence. Only 10 percent said they knew it was a crime and committed it anyway.
Among several students surveyed, over 60% of junior high students said they had never been taught anything about their country’s constitution.
Among several adults interviewed, more than 70% had never read any part of their country’s constitution, and over 80 percent said they navigate life by “being careful”, avoiding any situation that might attract legal trouble, because they do not know what the law actually says.
These findings underscored a fundamental contradiction: the state withholds legal knowledge from its citizens, punishes citizens for lacking that knowledge, and then claims this arrangement is just.
The ACCP Secretariat has therefore expressed gratitude to President Mahama for his responsiveness and commitment to addressing a matter that affects every citizen.
“We are immensely grateful that President Mahama is a listening president, one who is ready to act in the interest of the state and its people,” said Nana Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin, President of the ACCP.
“His swift directive to the Ministry of Education demonstrates that he understands the urgency of this issue. The principle ‘ignorance of the law is no excuse’ cannot be used to punish citizens for a failure that belongs to the state. The President has shown that he is willing to close that gap. This is leadership in action.”
Mr. David Adofo, Head of Research and Development at the ACCP, reiterated the Chamber’s core philosophy on the matter.
“Content is what shapes personality and perception. If ignorance of the law is not an excuse, then knowledge of the law must be an important part of the content build-up of every Ghanaian child from basic school through to Senior High School,” he stated.
“The Chamber and its Image Ambassadors across the continent are therefore excited that President Mahama has acted swiftly to this petition. We believe the whole of Africa will benefit from such a decisive action by the President, especially as he prepares to assume the Chairmanship of the African Union in 2027.”
Mr. Mawuko Kuadzi, an Africa Image Ambassador of the ACCP and the first African to win the Artios Award in its 40-year history, also expressed his profound gratitude to the President. “President Mahama’s swift decision gives hope to every Ghanaian and African child who deserves to know the laws that govern them. As an Africa Image Ambassador and co-founder of the Africa Monologue Challenge, I pledge to utilize the platform to champion this advocacy and to assist the President in his broader AU advocacy on this subject matter, as well as any other matter he will champion for the African Union during his chairmanship,” Kuadzi stated.
The ACCP’s petition proposes five concrete reforms. First, a mandatory constitutional literacy curriculum for all basic, junior and senior high school students, ensuring that every child reads and understands the supreme law of the land.
Second, constitutional and civic knowledge would become an examinable subject at the BECE and WASSCE levels, with a pass mark required for graduation. Third, the government would produce plain-language, illustrated versions of the Constitution for primary and junior high students. Fourth, an annual National Constitutional Literacy Day would be established, featuring school debates, quizzes, and community forums. Fifth, budgetary allocation to the NCCE and ISD would be increased specifically for school outreach, teacher training, and the production of educational materials.
The ACCP has offered its expertise to help implement the reforms.
Through its Africa Image Ambassador Programme and its educational arm, the African Progressive Research and Innovations (APRIL), the Chamber says it is ready to produce youth-friendly video and animation content explaining constitutional provisions, train teachers on innovative pedagogy, and mobilise civic educators across the country.
The Chamber also noted that President Mahama, who is set to become Chairperson of the African Union in 2027, is well-positioned to champion similar reforms across the continent.
“We are asking for a simple bargain: if you will punish me for not knowing the law, then you must ensure that I am taught the law,” the petition states. “Let it be said that under President Mahama, Ghana and Africa finally closed the gap between the principle of law and the education of its people.”
The Ministry of Education is now expected to review the petition and develop an implementation plan.
The ACCP has indicated its readiness to collaborate with the Ministry and other stakeholders to ensure the successful rollout of the proposed reforms.
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba