Programmes Officer of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Vera Abena Addo, has underscored the need for civil society organisations (CSOs) and the media to play a critical role in the ongoing constitutional review process.
She stated that the ongoing review process was the third time the country was attempting to review the 1992 Constitution, saying, “We think that it is important for CSOs and the media to be actively involved to rally the citizenry to support the constitutional review process”.
“We know that some of the processes are entrenched while others are not. So how do we collectively support public education to court the needed interest on the constitutional review process?” she asked.
Workshop
She made the remarks while speaking at a two-day capacity-building workshop on constitutional reform for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the media in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region
The workshop sought to enhance participants’ understanding of the constitution review process, equip CSOs with practical advocacy and engagement skills, and promote collaboration among civil society actors to ensure effective and coordinated action on constitutional reform.
It was organised by CDD-Ghana and Star Ghana Foundation, in partnership with UK International Development with the objective to rally support from CSOs and the media towards a successful review process.
The participants were drawn from Ashanti, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions.
Not politicians
Ms Addo highlighted the need to bring everyone on board in the review process and not leave it to the political class alone, stressing that “all citizens must fully understand the entire process in order to support the reform agenda”.
“We are hoping that President John Dramani Mahama, who started the review process in 2025, will see to the implementation of the recommendations as his legacy for the nation,” Ms Addo indicated.
Critical opportunity
The Vice-President, Ghana Journalists Association, Rebecca Ekpe, said for over three decades, Ghana’s Fourth Republican Constitution had represented the framework for democratic governance.
She, however, said evolving governance challenges and concerns over executive dominance, weak separation of powers, weak decentralisation, and gaps in accountability had brought to the fore the need for an extensive constitutional reform.
She stated that the ongoing constitution review process presented a critical opportunity to rebuild Ghana’s democratic institutions and to rebuild public trust in reform efforts, saying, “Previous reform processes have stalled and not yielded any governance dividends as citizens felt isolated from the process”.
“Citizen involvement is important because citizens’ voices can shape what recommendations are prioritised, reducing the likelihood of reforms being undermined by partisan interests and ultimately securing the majority’s interests”, she added.
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Source:
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