General News of Saturday, 15 December 2018
Source: Isaac Boamah Darko
2018-12-15
Dr. Eric Oduro- Osae
Former Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Lawyer John Owusu Agyemang has challenged governance expert Dr. Eric Oduro- Osae’s knowledge in the constitution concerning the tenure of office stipulated for a President.
Expressing his comment on the move being made by the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi to prevent former President Mahama from seeking another term in office after he lost the 2016 election to President Akufo- Addo, Governance Expert and Dean of Studies and Research at the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) Dr. Eric Oduro- Osae stated that John Mahama can seek for re-election and even run for two other terms because there has been a break in his presidency.
He further added that even former President Rawlings and Kufuor are eligible to contest again if they wish because there had been a break since they left office which renders their first two terms in office obsolete, stressing his argument that the constitution does not state that after serving two terms, a President who has served his two terms of office cannot contest in any future date.
But Lawyer John Owusu Agyemang expressed his disappointment at Dr. Osae’s ability to state what is not written in the constitution.
Speaking with Boamah Darko on Hot 93.9Fm’s morning show dubbed ‘Maakye’ Lawyer Owusu Agyemang agreed to John Mahama’s eligibility to contest since the constitution allows him to do so unlike what Chairman Wontumi believes that John Mahama served his full one term by continuing the tenure of the late President Mills and served his second term when he won the 2012 elections hence making him ineligible to contest again.
“Late President Mills was sworn in as President on January 7, 2009 and died on July 24, 2012 and Article 60, clause(6) of the 1992 constitution states that, whenever the President dies, resigns or is removed from office, the vice President shall assume office as President for the unexpired term of office of the President with effect from the date of the death, resignation or removal of the President and clause (7) states that where the unexpired term served by the Vice President under clause (6) of this article exceeds half the term of a President, the Vice – President is subsequently only eligible to serve one full term as President” and since Mills was President for three and half years, Mahama could not have exceeded half the term of office so he is eligible to contest again” Lawyer Owusu noted.
He however challenged Dr. Osae’s view on Ex Presidents Rawlings and Kufuor’s eligibility to contest again because, the constitution only allows a person to contest the Presidency for only two terms.
“The constitution clearly states in Article 66 clause(2) that a person shall not be elected to hold office as the President of Ghana for more than two terms which means that through out the life of a person, he can be President for only two terms so what is Dr. Oduro Osae saying, he is telling lies. What he is saying is not written in the constitution so he should stop using his own ideas to confuse Ghanaians because according to what the constitution states, President Rawlings has served his two terms so has President Kufuor so they can never contest again” He stressed.