General News of Tuesday, 30 January 2018

Source: peacefmonline.com

1992 constitution was made to satisfy only Rawlings - Kabila

Former President John Rawlings Former President John Rawlings

James Kwabena Bomfeh says President Nana Akufo-Addo says Ghana's 1992 constitution was made to satisfy the desires of only one person in the country.

Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', James Kwabena Bomfeh affectionately called Kabila intimated that the constitution was to suit Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings and for which the provisions were enacted to perpetuate dictatorship in Ghana.

He called on President Akufo-Addo to ensure amendments in the constitution, particularly with regard to the indemnity clauses, the swearing in of the Speaker of Parliament as President of the Republic when the President or the Vice President is not in the country and Article 57 of the constitution.

"Why do we still have the indemnity clauses in the constitution? Why? What is somebody afraid of?” he questioned.

According to him, the constitution was a transfer from Military dictatorship to civilian dictatorship where the President has ultimate power and administration over the entire nation and as a result, until power is decentralized and vested in the Ghanaian citizenry, there will be no serious defects with administration of the State.

“This constitution 1992 was made to satisfy one man, Mr. Rawlings . . . We were metamorphosing Military dictatorship to civilian dictatorship”, he said.

Kabila further criticized the constitutional provision which mandates the Speaker to take over the helm of affairs when the President and the Veep are absent, stating emphatically that if the law is not amended could create future complications.

He cautioned President Akufo-Addo to "change the constitution or forget about change. [2] Stop the civilian dictatorship. [3] Give power to the people and be sincere, through decentralization…"