The Center for Ethical Governance and Administration (CEGA) is charging all Ghanaians to outrightly reject any political party’s manifesto that did not solicit their views in a consultative manner saying “any Manifesto written without adequate consultation and inputs from the totality of Ghanaians lacks validity and remains only alien to the needs of the people.”
The Centre in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Prof Ohene Adjei and copied Awake News has highly commended the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on its decision to draft their 2020 Election Manifesto that will incorporate the views of Ghanaians adding that “this Consultative Approach is in the perfect sink with the letter and spirit of the 1992 Constitution.”
However, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described and mocked the approach of the NDC to seeks the views of Ghanaians to be factored into their manifesto as “lack of ideas” and a “empty alternative”
CEGA is joining other civil society organizations including the Centre for Social Democracy to applaud the NDC for what they described as innovative approach that is akin to good governance as it has the high tendency of reflecting the actual needs of the masses.
According to Prof. Adjei, lack of proper consultation by political parties in the past is what have led Ghanaians rejecting some of the current NPP government’s policies like the Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programme, the construction of the new Parliamentary Chamber among others.
“The CEGA is fully aware of some recent government activities in our educational sector that sought to clandestinely introduce alleged LGBT rights and other alien values into our educational system without adequate stakeholder consultations was roundly condemned and resisted by all well-meaning Ghanaians.” – He said
“Activities of political parties that form government after winning elections and introduce excessive taxation, borrowing for consumption and gratuitous projects such as the proposed building of new Parliamentary Chamber and a National Cathedral irrespective of the popular opposition to these projects have led to many Ghanaians concluding that politicians are the same and seek only their personal welfare or partisan interests.” – He added
The former Chief Executive Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has noted that “A written Manifesto of a political party is to all intent and purposes serve as a written social contract between the people and those who seek to govern them. To this extent, a manifesto must incorporate the aspirations of the people who elect the government on the basis of the conditions, programmes and policies contained in the manifesto.”
Backing his call, Prof. Adjei said “Our traditions and culture are solidly grounded in the jurisprudence that a single head does not contain all the knowledge of the world. We have as a people, been governed and led by our traditional values which often encourages us and our leaders especially chiefs to consult ‘Nana Abrewa’. Such traditional injunctions have most often led to commonsensical and peaceful solutions of problems and rival claims.”
“Any other practice that seeks to vest political knowledge to a few is not only reckless and unethical but leads to abuse of people’s power with impunity.” – He emphasized
CEGA is encouraging “the NDC to do more detailed consultations with all sections of Ghanaians in order to develop its future manifesto and policies” whiles calling on “all political parties to emulate this method of writing their future Manifestoes as that approach is more democratic.”
For him, “Any Manifesto or government policy that does not derive its source, inputs and blessing from the people is inconsistent with the provisions of the 1992 Constitution, traditions and customs.”
Read the full statement:
CENTER FOR ETHICAL GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION-CEGA
P. O. Box UPO 1260, KNUST Kumasi, Ghana, Email: cega.gh.99@gmail.com, Tel: +2330208124706
5th November, 2019
PRESS RELEASE
REJECT ANY MANIFESTO THAT DID NOT SOLICIT YOUR VIEWS IN A CONSULTATIVE MANNER- CEGA TASKS GHANAIANS
The Center for Ethical Governance and Administration (CEGA) highly commends the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on its decision to draft the Manifesto that will incorporate the views of Ghanaians. This Consultative Approach is in the perfect sink with the letter and spirit of the 1992 Constitution.
The preamble of the 1992 Constitution provides that “all powers of Government spring from the sovereign will of the people and in that regard proclaims that in the name of the Almighty God, we the people of Ghana in exercise of our natural and inalienable right to establish a framework of government which shall secure for ourselves and posterity the blessing of liberty, equality of opportunity and prosperity”.
The 1992 Constitution which is the supreme law of Ghana in its Chapter one Article 1 claims emphatically that, “the Sovereignty of Ghana resides in the people of Ghana and in whose name and for whose welfare the powers of government are to be exercised in the manner and within the limit by law in this Constitution”. In this regard, therefore, any political arrangements, principles and policies in a Manifesto that does not derive its validity and authenticity from the sovereign will of the people of Ghana is inconsistent with the supremacy of the constitution and to that extent of inconsistency void.
Furthermore, the Constitution contains provisions for the protection of the fundamental human rights and freedoms of democracy of Ghanaians in a spirit of the true meaning of democracy. The NDCs latest approach must be highly commended by all democracy-loving Ghanaians as it seeks to locate the power to where it actually belongs. Power does not belong to any political party individuals or Government. In the absence of which results in impunity, corruption and state capture and misappropriation of the sovereignty of Ghanaians and their resources by a few in Government.
Since independence, Ghana has enacted for herself various constitutions, but time and history have proven that the 1992 constitution which was drafted on the basis of consultative involvement of all manners of Ghanaians to be the most enduring.
The CEGA is fully aware of some recent government activities in our educational sector that sought to clandestinely introduce alleged LGBT rights and other alien values into our educational system without adequate stakeholder consultations was roundly condemned and resisted by all well-meaning Ghanaians.
Activities of political parties that form government after winning elections and introduce excessive taxation, borrowing for consumption and gratuitous projects such as the proposed building of new Parliamentary Chamber and a National Cathedral irrespective of the popular opposition to these projects have led to many Ghanaians concluding that politicians are the same and seek only their personal welfare or partisan interests.
A written Manifesto of a political party is to all intent and purposes serve as a written social contract between the people and those who seek to govern them. To this extent, a manifesto must incorporate the aspirations of the people who elect the government on the basis of the conditions, programmes and policies contained in the manifesto.
Any Manifesto written without adequate consultation and inputs from the totality of Ghanaians lacks validity and remains only alien to the needs of the people.
Our traditions and culture are solidly grounded in the jurisprudence that a single head does not contain all the knowledge of the world. We have as a people, been governed and led by our traditional values which often encourages us and our leaders especially chiefs to consult ‘Nana Abrewa’. Such traditional injunctions have most often led to commonsensical and peaceful solutions of problems and rival claims.
Any other practice that seeks to vest political knowledge to a few is not only reckless and unethical but leads to abuse of people’s power with impunity.
The CEGA, therefore, encourages the NDC to do more detailed consultations with all sections of Ghanaians in order to develop its future manifesto and policies. We call on all political parties to emulate this method of writing their future Manifestoes as that approach is more democratic. Any Manifesto or government policy that does not derive its source, inputs and blessing from the people is inconsistent with the provisions of the 1992 Constitution, traditions and customs.
Finally, we encourage Ghanaians to reject any Manifesto of political parties that do not accommodate their views in a consultative manner.
Our collective experiences of the 1992 Constitution and the framework of its formulation and acceptance should serve as a positive guide in developing any social contract between the govern and the government.
The CEGA is a non-governmental and non-profit civil society organization that seeks to deepen ethical principle in the governance and administration of Ghana.
Long live Ghana, Long live the Sovereign will and Power to Ghanaians.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
PROF. KWAME OHENE ADJEI
DR. JUSTICE MOSES AHETO EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
By: Efo Korsi Senyo / awakenewsroom.com
