The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) 2023 sessions at which discussions are held on constitutional review in the country resumes today with a lecture by a Member of the Council of State, Sam Okudzeto.
A seasoned lawyer and a Member of Parliament (MP) in the 1969 Legislature, Mr Okudzeto’s presentation would cover areas such as a contrast between the historical circumstances of both the 1992 Constitution and the 1969 Constitution, the effect on the provisions and in particular the large discretionary powers of appointments given to the President in the 1992 Constitution and its effects on checks and balances.
Areas of presentation
The other areas of Mr Okudzeto’s presentation would be on Articles 243 & 248 Local Government and Decentralisation about whether District Chief Executives should be appointed by the President and paid from the Consolidated Fund.
The effect on the district administration and the ability of the districts to raise funds to undertake development projects and whether political parties should be involved in district assembly or lower local government unit elections will also be discussed.
The rest are: The appointment of Superior Court judges — has Ghana applied the Lancaster House Principles on judicial appointments? A critique of the Supreme Court case of Ghana Bar Association, Amegatcher, Amenuvor, Beecham v. Attorney General [2015 – 2016] 2 SCGLR reviewed?
A statement issued by the IEA Monday to announce the resumption of this year’s sessions said the lecture would take place at the Prof.Mike Oquaye Centre for Constitutional Studies at the IEA at 2p.m.
It said the IEA,the pioneer think tank in the country,had been committed to the examination of the 1992 Constitution with a view to interrogating and publishing on its critical areas towards improving on the qualitative content to deepen good governance.
Publications
The statement said some publications that had come from the seminar series in the past included, Hybrid Constitution and Its Attendant Difficulties (2010) — Prof.Oquaye, Constitutional Dilemmas: The Omission of Provisions on a Defecting President or an In-operative Vice-President (2010) — Prof. Vladimir Antwi Danso, To Cap or Not to Cap: The Supreme Court of Ghana (2010) – Prof. Justice A. K. P. Kludze, The Panel System at the Supreme Court: Merits and Demerits (2010) —Prof. Justice A.K.P. Kludze and Rethinking Decentralisation and Local Government in Ghana — Proposals for Amendment (2010) — Kwabena Ahwoi among others.
It said, in the year 2022,the IEA’s effort on constitutional review commenced again with the establishment of a Centre for Constitutional Studies with the Policy Paper there read by Prof. Oquaye.
Personalities Personalities who have so far taken their turns in the seminar series included Nana Dr S.K.B Asante, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the immediate past Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu,former Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Justice Emile Short, a retired Supreme Court judge, Ghana and former Chief Justice of The Gambia, Justice Stephen Alan Brobbey, the immediate past Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo (Former Chief Justice, Ghana).
Contributors
It said a number of contributors at the fora whom the IEA also acknowledged include, MP for the Abuakwa South Constituency, Samuel Atta Akyea, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, James Klutse Avedzi, MP for the North Tongu Constituency, Okudzeto Ablakwa and Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education, Madam Kathleen Addy.
The others include the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman, Peter Mac Manu, the General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Nana Yaa Jantuah, a former Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Catherine A. Afeku, a Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Maame Yaa A. Mensa-Bonsu, a Member of the Council of State, E.T. Mensah, the Dean of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Prof. Vladimir Antwi-Danso and a former General Superintendent, Assemblies of God, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong Manso.
