A member of the Council of State, Reverend Dr. Nii Amo Darko is unhappy with comments made by a colleague member on the council, Professor Akilakpa Sawyer that they (Council) have been largely ineffective.

A member of the Council of State, Reverend Dr. Nii Amo Darko is unhappy with comments made by a colleague member of the council, Professor Akilakpa Sawyer that they (Council) have not been able to play their advisory role on serious issues that begs national attention.

Professor Akilakpa Sawyer reportedly said on Joy FM’s Super Morning show that President Mills and his government sometimes bypasses the Council of State to take certain decision.

He expressed regret that the Council has not been able to play their advisory role on serious issues that begs national attention saying, “there have been so many difficult questions which we have not as a council addressed and its one of my personal regrets; and I am saying it publicly now in the hope that my colleagues on the Council will take me seriously and let us get to work on some of these matters”.

Prof. Sawyer, who is also a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, revealed that the Council, has proffered advice to the government on many issues – some taken, some spurned – but the members of the Council can neither take credit for the achievements of the government nor take blame for what has not been achieved by the Mills administration.

According to him, the Mills government did not consult the council before embarking on the STX Korean Housing project which is now in an indeterminate state as a result of the controversies surrounding it.

Reacting to these assertions on Radio Gold, Rev. Amo Darko expressed deep reservations at the comments passed by Prof Sawyer and stated emphatically that “the constitution do not state anywhere that government should consult the Council of state on every business”.

He pointed out that the body is mandated constitutionally to officially meet a maximum of four times in a year and they have also decided to meet the President and his team at least three times in a year, which means that government cannot consult them on everything it does.

“The president according to the constitution consults the council on all his appointments for approval but not all his decisions,” he added.

He also rejected Prof. Sawyer’s claims that the Council of state was not consulted on the STX Korea housing deal saying that when the project was faced with numerous problems and hit a snag, the council conferred with the president on the matter.

“The Council (of State) met with President Mills, the Minister in charge, Alban Bagbin and all other stakeholders and the president told the council the details about the deal and he was frank about the difficulties and the challenges of the STX and we all dispassionately discussed it and whatever advice we had was offered. So we had confronted the president and his team and we have also offered our candid advice to them,” he stressed.