Mahama’s One-Term Presidency Offers Golden Opportunity for Constitutional Reforms – Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

Former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has urged President-elect John Dramani Mahama to leverage his one-term presidency to champion comprehensive constitutional reforms aimed at improving governance in Ghana.

Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews on Saturday, December 28, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu described Mahama’s position as a one-term leader as a rare chance to drive meaningful changes without the perception of self-interest.

“Because he doesn’t have any stake going forward, nobody would accuse him of manipulating the system to satisfy himself. He has a very unique opportunity to take us where we want to get to, to improve our governance, and ensure this constitution becomes development-orientated,” he explained.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted that Ghana’s 1992 Constitution was designed to stabilise the country during a turbulent period. With the country now enjoying political stability, he argued that the focus must shift to reforms that promote development and address governance gaps.

His remarks follow the submission of a report by the Constitution Review Consultative Committee to outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo, which outlined proposals for significant constitutional amendments.

The former majority leader acknowledged that Mahama’s administration would face significant pressures in its early months, including forming a cabinet, obtaining parliamentary approval for ministers, and finalising the national budget.

“The first three months—January, February, and March—will be difficult terrain. But after that, maybe April, May, or June would be a better time to start the constitutional review process,” he suggested.

He called on the president-elect to use this initial period to foster collaboration among stakeholders and mobilise public support for the reforms.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu echoed sentiments shared by other experts, including Oliver Barker-Vormawor, on the need to keep constitutional reform at the forefront of national discourse.

“We need to mobilise public opinion to carry the reforms forward,” he stressed.

He emphasised that aligning constitutional amendments with Ghana’s development goals is crucial to creating a governance framework that reflects the country’s aspirations and fosters progress.

“This is a golden opportunity for President Mahama to leave a lasting legacy by championing a development-orientated Constitution that reflects the aspirations of the people. I believe he cannot afford to miss this occasion,” Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu concluded.