A former Presiding Bishop of the Full Gospel Church International has attributed the country’s retard progress to specific provisions in the constitution that give the President extreme authority in the country’s running.
Samuel Noi Mensah says the constitution in its current state gives presidents “too much power that they sometimes manage the country as their family property.”
Speaking in an interview on the Second Joy Christian Forum, he said the 1992 Constitution must be reviewed before the 2024 elections because it gives little room for accountability and transparency, making leaders think they hold supreme power over national issues and decisions.
“The constitution has given too much power to one single person who manages the country as if he’s managing his family property or family business, and that is why in this 30th year of our democratic rule, there must be the need for constitutional review if we want to enhance our governance.
“In the Constitution, we have only enhanced a political leader, and so when they come into the office, they like it because it benefits their selfish ego [but] we need strong leadership that will transform our society after 65 years, and that must be something the church must begin to trumpet, and the church is trumpeting,” he said.
According to him, the country has not achieved much since she gained independence due to the kind of decisions leaders take.
Bishop Noi Mensah explained that “politics actually is about decisions people make that affect our lives and we must be interested. But, unfortunately, whoever sits in the Jubilee House has been given too much of power.”
He warned that a failure to review the constitution can plunge the country into darkness.
“There must be a referendum before the next election; otherwise, this nation will definitely go down. We can’t go into the next election with the same constitution. After 30 years, you should evaluate yourself. You should ask yourself how well have you performed in the 30years of our democracy.
“What are some of the good things in the constitution, and what are some of the things we need to review so that we can enhance and strengthen our institutions? That is why the ordinary man like you and I must demand and call for the referendum; otherwise, the constitution we have today cannot take us into the next 30 years of Ghana’s development.”