The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli state, Togbe Afede XIV, has added his voice to the long list of Ghanaians who have called for the modification of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

Togbe Afede, in his recent reflections in a book titled 'Our Self-Inflicted Monumental Economic Crisis', indicated that the 1992 constitution in its current form has become irrelevant in addressing the challenges in Ghana which is why it has to be drastically reviewed.

He stated that the Constitution, for instance gives the president so much power, including the power of appointment into almost every high office.

This, he said, is the cause of the gargantuan corruption and abuse of power being currently seen in the country.

“Our constitution has outlived its usefulness, is responsible for the weakness of our institutions, and has been a major bottleneck to our development. Many of its provisions appear to belong to a different era or look like inspired by considerations other than democratic or development objectives.

“The excessive powers of the President, for example, and the indemnity clause that ensures that he cannot be held to account, have encouraged reckless abuse of power, and are at the root of corruption in our country,” part of the book reads.

The paramount chief added, “Our President appoints people to thousands of positions and can dismiss them at will, virtually. It is the main reason why many of our institutions are politicized and weak”.

Many Ghana experts in the legal sector including the former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo have echoed the points made by Togbe Afede.

Sophia Akuffo submitted that Ghana's current Constitution has served the country well but added that a review is long overdue.

"Nobody tells me what to think, except God and nobody can tell me what to do with my time and what to say about anything going on in this country," he said reacting to her recent decision to join an anti-government picketing event.

"Thank God we have a constitution, flawed though it might be, but at least the right to say what I want to say and the freedom of conscience, that’s mine and nobody will trample on it however influential they are,” she said.

Read Togbe Afede’s book below:



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