Firebrand politician and leading member of the Movement for Change, Solomon Owusu, has waded into the debate on whether President John Mahama should be allowed to seek a third term in office, insisting that Ghana’s constitutional two-term limit must not be tampered with.
Owusu argued that national focus should not be on individuals but rather on building institutions strong enough to serve citizens regardless of who occupies the presidency.
“Why not extend and give an ample time to the person to deliver? So you are all missing the point.
“The focus must not be on the president, the focus must be on the state,” he stressed in an interview monitored by MyNewsGh.
“Instead of focusing on the president, we must focus on building stronger institutions so that whoever is occupying the position is implementing policies that have been outlined by the state.”
Owusu warned that personalizing governance around one leader weakens democratic systems, adding: “Granted, you are the best president. So when you die, the country will come to a standstill? No way.”
He recalled that both the 1969 and 1992 constitutions explicitly capped presidential terms at two, emphasizing the framers’ wisdom in avoiding over-concentration of power.
“This is why every president must have two terms. Whatever he has for this country, he has today to do it, not tomorrow,” Owusu stated.
“Three years is enough for John Mahama. Oh, yes. It is more than enough. And he must make sure that in 1,480 days he is able to implement whatever he wishes to do. You won’t give him an extra day.”
