Austerity measures by government in sharp contrast with the 1992 Constitution – Kwesi Pratt

The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jr, has stated that austerity measures, including the freeze on public sector recruitments by the government, are in sharp contrast with constitutional provisions on the economy and how it impacts the ordinary citizen.

Situating his argument on Article 35(1) of the 1992 Constitution in a post on his X account, on June 5, 2025, he asserted that the provision advocates for a relief of the working class and the vulnerable.

According to him, the governing laws of the country sought to place a responsibility on the government to protect the ordinary citizen, a responsibility that appears to have been overlooked.

“My casual and occasional reading of the 1992 Constitution has proved to be very useful. This morning, I paid particular attention to the constitutional provisions on the economy, and they have been very revealing. Article 36 (I) is particularly revealing.

“It states that the state shall take all necessary action to ensure that the national economy is managed in such a manner as to maximize the rate of economic development and secure the maximum welfare, freedom, and happiness of every person in Ghana and to provide adequate means of livelihood and suitable employment and public assistance to the needy,” the post stated.

He noted that it appears the government has shifted the focus of exploring ways to ease the burden of the ordinary citizen, particularly, the vulnerable, to making profits.

According to him, the shift, which he attributed to successive governments’ alignment with neo-colonial leaders, has been the driver of the unfortunate development.

He stressed that the direction taken by the government is in breach of the provision expressly stated in the 1992 Constitution.

Read full post below:

VPO/AE

Meanwhile, catch up on the concluding part of the story of Fort William, where children were sold in exchange for kitchenware, others, below: