GHANA: Mahama signs a social contract with Ghanaians
The former president and the Presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress – NDC John Dramani Mahama has unveiled plans to remove the indemnity clauses in Ghana’s 1992 constitution when re-elected as the president of the Republic of Ghana in December 2020.
In what appears to be a strategic policy announcement trending on social media and sighted by the team at Starr Radio UK, the former president is promising to within the first 100 days in office constitute a committee to work with Ghanaians to review, amend and remove the indemnity clauses which protects the executives from prosecution in the 1992 constitution of Ghana.
It went further to state “I pledge to put myself online, remove the indemnity clause and avail myself for prosecution should I John Mahama be foundto have engaged in corruption after i have severed and left office in 2025”.
He also name a few countries which have no such clauses in their constitutions and have been holding their leaders to account – “South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia, South Korea and many other countries have no such clauses in their constitution – why is Ghana different?”
Many Ghanaians including the former president Rawlings have called for the urgent removal of clauses in Ghana’s 1992 constitutions which indemnified the executives from prosecution when the exit office within a reasonable time frame. Ghanaians see some of these clauses as major standing blocks to fighting corruption by successive governments.
Rawlings backs the removal of indemnity clauses
Speaking during a wreath-laying and durbar to climax activities marking the 40th anniversary of the June 4 uprising at Nungua on Tuesday, June 4, 2019, Rawlings said there are many constitutional clauses that do not serve our interest and called for an urgent establishment of a constituent assembly to review them.
“Over the years the indemnity clauses have emboldened certain characters to abuse their offices and profit themselves. The constitution of the Fourth Republic was created by us, for us and to serve us, and in light of the 25 years, there is an unqualified need to reform or rewrite our current constitution. An urgent constituent assembly ought to be established with the necessary powers to rewrite the constitution,” he said.
Ghanaians react on social medial
If the initial reactions sighted on social media by this portal is anything to go by, then it appears Mahama will be making many more new friends with this announcement.
Mr George Boateng – a Ghanaian resident in the United States of America wrote “As this pledge nkooaaa De I woould campaign for JM”
Another Ghanaian showing a thumb up
Others believed the current president Nana Akufo-Addo will be copying and announcing a move to review the constitution with include the review of the indemnity clauses
By Linda Yomi for Starr Radio UK
