Former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has called for constitutional reforms to reduce presidential control over key public institutions and ensure continuity in Ghana’s development agenda.
He said institutions responsible for technical and long-term national planning should be granted greater independence, including the authority to appoint their representatives and elect their own leaders.
Speaking at a forum organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in Accra on the Prempeh Committee’s report and the government’s position on constitutional review, Prof. Oquaye said frequent changes in government often disrupted development programmes.
“In this country, it looks as if every four years we act as if we are starting to build the country again,” he said, warning that the practice could push the country backwards instead of promoting progress.
Prof. Oquaye cited the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) as an institution that needed stronger independence.
He argued that allowing members to elect their chairperson would help protect the commission from political influence and enable it to prioritise national development needs.
He also called for constitutional safeguards to strengthen the independence of the Lands Commission and protect citizens’ rights concerning land, minerals and other natural resources.
Meanwhile, former Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, urged constitutional reforms to improve transparency and accountability in natural resource management.
He called for greater public access to information on mining agreements, company ownership, government revenues, tax exemptions and environmental obligations.
