Five-year presidential term means extra year to amass wealth, loot state coffers — Ansa-Asare

Former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Kweku Ansa-Asare, has vehemently opposed the proposed extension of Ghana's presidential term from four to five years. Speaking on JoyNews' The Pulse, Mr. Ansa-Asare expressed his disappointment at the government's swift progress in the constitutional review process. He cited the timing of the proposed changes as particularly troubling, as 2028 is an election year. "The government appears to have fast-tracked the process beyond our imagination," Mr. Ansa-Asare lamented.

The former lawyer argued that a five-year presidential term could provide additional opportunities for corruption. He warned that it could enable presidents to amass wealth and loot state coffers. "I have already made my position clear on the five-year presidential term: that it is another way of corruption to enable the president to amass wealth, loot state coffers and all that," he stated.

Mr. Ansa-Asare contended that extending the term would give elected officials an extra year in office without necessarily enhancing their ability to deliver on their responsibilities.

He pointed out that in the current four-year mandate, corrupt practices among government functionaries have already been observed. Should the term be extended to five years, the next amendment might occur in 20 years, potentially leading to an even longer presidential term. This, he argued, could result in the erosion of the country's state coffers.

"By the time we get to another amendment in, say, 20 years’ time, which will increase the term from five years to, say, ten years, we will have no state coffers in this country," Mr. Ansa-Asare warned.

Mr. Ansa-Asare maintained that a four-year term should be adequate for a president to implement their programme effectively. He criticized the practice of presidents and governments taking time after assuming office to devise their policy plans. "You don’t have to wait until you win, and then you use one year to gather the blueprint for your minister, instead of you doing that before you can get into office," he argued. "On principle, I’m totally against the five years," he added.