Christmas came and went so quickly, even before one could realise.
Yet the prior weeks made it look like it was going to stay forever.
Accra the capital was full.
The New Year, 2026, unfolded quicker and 2025 was gone in a faster count of 10 ten.
And here we are, only ten days and we are back to where we began.
No matter what 2025 presented, the year ended with somewhat good directions from the Constitution Review Committee.
Personally, what were primarily on my mind as we closed 2025, were Ghana and the report on the highlights of the review.
They gave me cause to breathe a breath of hope into the New Year.
One saw the highlights as timely with some pillars that could prop us up, going forward as a country with some promise and untapped opportunities in the governance of the nation.
Portions of the 1992 Constitution have been interpreted in the past by some as having outlived its usefulness and therefore needed a justifiable review and future changes.
December 2025 offered some hope when the Constitution Review Committee set up by the President presented the highlights of the review work they had done on the 1992 Constitution.
Personally, I welcomed the work done and celebrated the 10 highlighted points.
But my specific joy hinged on three particular recommendations – including: strengthen independent institutions, cap the number of ministers and allow direct election of local leaders.
Strengthen independent institutions
Though the recommendation on this particular review made mention of reforms for appointment processes for key roles like the Electoral Commission head to be merit- based, one would beg to extend this to all public service appointments.
It was former US President Barack Obama who said, on a visit to Ghana, that what the country needed were not strong men but rather, strong institutions.
If we had strong institutions backed by workable laws and headed by competent merit-based managers, the lawlessness, impunities and recklessness that have engulfed us would have been a thing of the past.
Lawlessness is continually perpetuated almost like becoming acceptable norms, irrespective of existing laws.
The rule of law has ceased to work in many instances making our laws only present on paper.
Weeks before the Christmas season, pavements and roads were taken over by sellers, pushing pedestrians into the streets and causing needless traffic jams all over the city.
Yet the local Assemblies have beautifully crafted Byelaws regarding street selling and use of pavements.
Irritatingly, where these unlawful acts were going on, we had police presence, struggling to direct traffic.
If we had strong institutions with workable laws, would we be battling with the nagging filth in our markets and other public spaces especially on our ceremonial roads and streets?
They ride through red lights and on the opposite side of traffic, knocking down pedestrians and running into vehicles.
If we had strong institutions and knowing the harm of non-degradable plastics to human life as well as the environment, would a country just watch on and oversee factories set up to produce the same non-degradable plastics because those manufacturers are providing employment to the youth?
What about poisoning citizens and the environment?
Capping number of Ministers
The review recommends that the total number of Ministers of state be limited to a total of 57 and that includes deputy ministers.
That seems a fantastic proposal. For a country of our size and battered by high government expenditures, keeping duplicated ministries with substantial ministerial and most times deputy ministerial oversights beats reasoning.
Past overburdened public budgets with crushing expenditures would make reduction in the number of ministers just on point.
The needless duplication of roles and duties in some ministries would be eliminated.
Once the numbers are capped, the loaded freebies including vehicles, security, drivers and many allowances which burden public purse would be slashed.
What we need is quality and not quantity.
Elect local leaders
Mandating the direct election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) is timely and we need to embrace that proposal as a constitutional mandate.
It is disheartening that residents and commercial entities continue to pay rates to these entities and yet, some communities have been in existence for over 50 years with un-motorable dusty roads.
Residents have had to construct their own drains and gutters with no clue as to what paid taxes are used for.
The Assemblies care little about how communities dispose of their refuse.
They pay rates yet fix their own street lights and many other services where in other jurisdictions, the Assembles are responsible for.
If citizens were to elect their own leaders, it would bring a sense of accountability and direct and faster responsibility in the jobs these leaders do for communities.
It is time for those who want to lead their immediate communities go to them and campaign directly and sell their messages so that the people can hold them accountable.
By all means let us allow all the necessary consultations to be done and ensure all the legalities checked.
At the end of the day, the highlights raised and shared by the Committee is one good New Year’s present.
Writer’s email: vickywirekoandoh@yahoo.com
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
