Constitutional review: Govt must keep discussions open – Dr Tandoh

Former Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service and spokesperson for the New Patriotic Party's Policy Committee on Education, Dr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh, has called on the government to maintain open discussions during Ghana's constitutional review process. According to Dr Tandoh, the exercise would achieve broader public acceptance only if citizens and stakeholders are given ample opportunity to contribute meaningfully and feel their views are being taken into account.

On JoyNews’ Newsfile, the commentator emphasized the necessity of extensive consultations, especially if the government wishes for the wider population to own the process. "For me, I think the most important thing is that the government shouldn't close the door on this matter, and that additional extensive conversations are needed," he asserted.

Dr Tandoh viewed the constitutional review as a crucial national exercise demanding participation from more than just political actors and government institutions. He argued that citizens would be more likely to engage with and support the process if they were assured that their concerns were being heard. "Most importantly, this is a very important exercise, and if you need the larger population to really join this exercise, you need to be able to let them feel that you listen to them," he emphasized.

Dr Tandoh urged the government to remain open-minded throughout the review and refrain from treating it as a settled matter. "We have a serious responsibility to make sure that we do not close the door on such matters when it comes to the constitutional review," he concluded. His remarks come as Ghana grapples with a broader debate surrounding governance and political influence in public institutions.

The government has refuted a reported 54 percent figure on the politicization of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed concerns about political sway in managing these entities. Dr Tandoh maintained that an open consultation process would enable stakeholders to scrutinize proposed constitutional changes, raise concerns, and provide alternative ideas before any reforms are finalized.

He stressed that ensuring citizens feel heard would be critical to securing the broad public participation and legitimacy necessary for what he described as a significant national undertaking.