President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has revealed that Ghana may soon see significant changes to the 1992 Constitution if the work of Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh and his team is successful.
Mr Cudjoe recalled that since the Constitution came into effect in 1993, only one set of amendments has been made. That was in 1996, when about seven provisions were altered — with some considered useful and others controversial.
Among them was Article 8, which allowed dual citizenship but still excluded dual nationals from occupying certain high government positions.
“That exclusion has annoyed Prof. Kwaku Azar foreeeeverrrr,” Cudjoe joked In a Facebook post, sighted by MyNewsGh.
Article 166 was also revised to strengthen the independence of the National Media Commission. On the other hand, he noted, amendments such as Article 114 — which enhanced ex gratia benefits for MPs — and Article 199 — which allowed politicians to reappoint pensioners into top jobs — have been viewed more critically.
“After 1996, every attempt to amend the constitution has ended in stalemate,” Cudjoe pointed out. He suggested, however, that Professor Prempeh’s ongoing review effort could finally break that deadlock.
Cudjoe disclosed that IMANI Africa has made two formal submissions to the review committee.
The first tackles what he called “financial indiscipline” in government. He pointed to global examples, such as Germany’s Schuldenbremse (debt brake), which constitutionally caps fiscal deficits at 0.35% of GDP, and Singapore’s balanced budget rule that prevents overspending through reckless borrowing.
“No crazy borrowing and after that you come and worry them with DDEP,” he quipped.
The second memo addresses what he termed “legislative indiscipline,” where laws passed by Parliament distort constitutional principles without directly violating them — what he described as “soft coups.”
According to Cudjoe, this has undermined decentralisation in Ghana. IMANI therefore proposes that laws affecting core constitutional provisions should undergo rigorous preemptive analysis to prevent distortionary effects.
“All eyes are on Prof. HKP to change that,” Cudjoe wrote, calling on Ghanaians to share their views on IMANI’s proposals and the broader constitutional reform agenda.
