The Communication Officer of the Bole -Bamboi constituency and a member of the national communication team,Mr Bashiru Amantana, has described the four-year presidential term in Ghana as inadequate for delivering sustainable national development.
Speaking as a panelist on Yagbon radio morning show on Tuesday, December 23, Bashiru addressed Ministers and senior government officials on the complexities of governance, highlighting the limitations of the current tenure system.
“In Ghana, our tenure for president is so short. In Africa, it is only Nigeria and Ghana that have a four-year tenure of presidency. Most countries have five years. What can somebody do in four years?” he questioned.
He noted that the structure of the four-year term significantly hampers a new president’s ability to implement long-term policies.
“If you are a new person and you just came in, you need about a year before you will adjust. You work for two years, the next year is an election year. So time to really move your country is very limited,” he added.
Bashiru comments come amid ongoing debates on the final report of the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) presented to President John Dramani Mahama, outlining extensive proposals for amendments to Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
Among the major recommendations is a proposal to shift the date for presidential elections from December to November. According to the Committee, this change is intended to provide more time for a smoother transition between administrations.
The shift would extend the transition period from one month to two months, allowing for what the CRC describes as a more structured handover process.
The Committee also proposed substantive changes to the Council of State. It recommends reforms that would realign the Council’s structure and functioning with the original intent behind its creation, aimed at enhancing accountability and improving its advisory role to the government.
Another key recommendation is the extension of the presidential term from four years to five years. The CRC argues that a longer term would strengthen policy continuity and provide government with a better opportunity to deliver on its development agenda.
The Committee further recommended that the minimum age requirement for presidential candidates be reduced from 40 to 30 years, describing the current age limit as unnecessarily restrictive.
Source yagbonradioonline
