Law Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua
Law Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, has endorsed the Constitutional Review Committee’s (CRC) recommendation to extend Ghana’s presidential term from four to five years.
He argues that the current four-year tenure is too short for a president to effectively implement policies.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey on Tuesday, December 23, Prof. Appiagyei-Atua explained that the pre-election and early post-election period consumes a significant portion of a president’s term.
“You spend maybe about a year before your election as president campaigning. When it comes to office, the constitution is bloated with the government… it takes a very heavy toll on the president,” he said.
He added that a president must also manage extensive appointment powers, including ministers, municipal assemblies, and heads of institutions. “It takes a very heavy toll on the president to do all of this and to do that, it may take about one year to complete that, to settle in,” he noted.
Prof Appiagyei-Atua further highlighted the strain of internal party processes, which consume additional months of governance time. He stressed that the five-year term should be considered alongside other CRC reforms designed to strengthen governance and reduce corruption.
His comment follows the recommendation by the Constitutional Review Committee to extend Ghana’s presidential term from four to five years, arguing that the current duration is inadequate for effective governance.
