A former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini, has opposed the government’s proposal to increase Ghana’s presidential term from four years to five years.
He argued that improving governance efficiency is more important than extending the tenure of office.
The proposal forms part of the government’s response to recommendations made by the Constitution Review Committee (CRC), which recently submitted its report on proposed amendments to Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
Mr Fuseini maintained that a four-year mandate provides sufficient time for any focused and committed administration to implement its programmes and deliver meaningful results. In his view, extending the term of office would not address the underlying challenges of governance.
He argued that President John Dramani Mahama’s second administration has demonstrated that governments do not need additional time to begin fulfilling their mandate, insisting that a purposeful government can make significant progress within its first year in office.
Speaking on Citi FM on Monday, August 3, Mr Fuseini rejected suggestions that the first year of every administration is largely spent settling into office while the final year is consumed by election activities.
“No, I don’t. John Mahama’s second coming has dispelled that idea. It just means that a government, when you come with intention, purpose, and deliberateness, you’ll be able to achieve so much even in your first year.”
He further argued that the proposed amendment rewards inefficiency rather than addressing it, calling instead for measurable performance benchmarks to assess how quickly governments constitute their administrations and begin delivering on campaign promises.
“The amendment is not talking to efficiency. It’s talking to lethargy. You are elected to work for the benefit and welfare of the people… So let’s bring efficiency indicators and mark how a government should be established in this country; what ministers and presidents are supposed to do when they win power.”
Mr Fuseini, however, welcomed the broader constitutional review process, noting that constitutions should evolve to reflect changing national realities.
The Constitution Review Committee’s report contains a range of proposals, some of which the government has accepted, modified or rejected as part of efforts to reform the country’s constitutional framework.
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