Speaking during the public engagement, Mrs. Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, Eastern Regional Minister, commended President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to establish the Constitution Review Committee to spearhead public discourse on reviewing and refining Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
She described the move as a testament to the government’s commitment to inclusive, participatory, and forward-looking constitutional reform during the CRC Zonal Public Engagement in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua.
The forum was convened by the Secretariat of the CRC, with support from the Eastern Regional Office of the National Commission for Civic Education, which helped mobilize public participation and solicit views and aspirations on the Constitution.
The Regional Minister highlighted that the 1992 Constitution ushered in Ghana’s Fourth Republic and laid the foundation for what had become the longest period of democratic stability in the nation’s history.
“Over the past three decades, the Constitution has safeguarded our fundamental human rights, facilitated peaceful political transitions, and anchored our institutions. However, as society evolves, so must our foundational legal framework,” she noted.
She emphasised the relevance of the Constitution’s opening clause, citing Article 1(1): “The sovereignty of Ghana resides in the people of Ghana in whose name and for whose welfare the powers of government are to be exercised.”
This principle, she said, underscored the relevance and importance of the engagement, an opportunity for Ghanaians from all walks of life to contribute meaningfully to the shaping of a constitution that reflected the collective experiences and aspirations for the future.
Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, addressed the gathering, noting that the forum served as a platform for diverse voices such as academics, youth, professionals, traditional authorities, the marginalized, and the underrepresented to be heard.
“It is through these inclusive deliberations that we deepen consensus, reinforce legitimacy, and enhance national unity,” Professor Prempeh said.
He described the participation in Koforidua forum as superb, marked by a robust exchange of ideas that echoed those already collected in other regions.
GNA
