Mahama has unique opportunity to ensure constitution becomes development-oriented – Kyei-Mensah

Former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has described President-elect John Dramani Mahama‘s upcoming one-term presidency as a rare opportunity to spearhead constitutional reforms aimed at advancing Ghana’s governance and development goals.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, December 28, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted that Mahama’s position as a one-term president provides an ideal platform for unbiased and impactful reforms.

“Because he doesn’t have any stake going forward, nobody would accuse him of manipulating the system to satisfy himself. He has a very unique opportunity to take us where we want to get to, to improve our governance and ensure this Constitution becomes development-oriented,” he said.

The call for constitutional reform follows the submission of a report by the Constitution Review Consultative Committee to outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo. The report outlines significant amendments to the 1992 Constitution, which was initially designed to stabilise the nation during a turbulent era.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu emphasised that Ghana’s current stability makes this the right time for constitutional amendments that address governance gaps and align with national development aspirations.

He acknowledged the challenges Mahama may face early in his presidency, including forming a cabinet, obtaining parliamentary approval for ministers, and finalising the national budget. However, he advised that the constitutional review process could gain momentum by mid-2025.

“Maybe April, May, or June would be a better time to start the constitutional review process. The first three months, January, February, March, will be difficult terrain,” he suggested.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also stressed the need for President-elect Mahama to build consensus among stakeholders and mobilise public opinion to ensure widespread support for the reforms.

“This is a golden opportunity for President Mahama to leave a lasting legacy by championing a development-oriented Constitution that reflects the aspirations of the people. I believe he cannot afford to miss this occasion,” he concluded.

NPP’s constitution is flawed in selecting leaders – Appiah Kubi

The post Mahama has unique opportunity to ensure constitution becomes development-oriented – Kyei-Mensah first appeared on 3News.

Read Full Story