Last Wednesday, January 7, 2026, was Constitution Day, the accompanying holiday however set for Friday. It is a day set aside to celebrate the constitution; it also affords us the opportunity to reflect upon the country’s 1992 Magna Carta, the documentary guide to governance.
The abuse of power or otherwise by those elected to run the affairs of the country, the erosion of the independence of constitutional bodies or its enhancement, not forgetting the safeguarding of human rights are critical segments of constitutions. At this time of the year, it is important that we dissect the foregone to identify shortcomings if there are, so we can make amends and to pat ourselves on the back where we have done remarkably well.
The 1992 Constitution has been regarded as the longest-serving written documentary governance guide for our country, previous ones suffering coup interruptions and replacements.
This year’s Constitution Day is auspicious, holding as it were on the heels of the submission of a completed report of suggestions for the possible review of the 1992 Constitution where necessary.
With political and social evolutions in every given country a reality, the constitution over time requires amendments which, in the view of the people, must be considered to ensure better governance of the country.
Undoubtedly, since the outdooring of the constitution under review, shortcomings would naturally be discerned and which would need alterations as allowed by the governance guide.
Reviewing the document is not peculiar to us, the US Constitution, the most popular written constitution, having gone through such processes over time and counting.
With the report on the review of our constitution now on the desk of the President, we await the next step towards the consideration for the necessary changes if there should be.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP), we have learnt, has also set up a committee to study the document and to make the necessary inputs where necessary.
Snippets from the report indicate that Ghanaians are averse to a presidential third term among others.
Whatever the contents of the review, the will of the people and the natural interest should be paramount.
Entrenched portions of the constitution which specifically require referendum must not be toyed with but handled with the necessary dexterity bereft of self-interest.
Amendments are intended to ensure growth and not to provide fodder for retrogression or instability.
Sixty-nine years after independence, an updated constitution whose shortcomings are addressed is what the country needs.
Even as we engage in conversations on the suggested contents as contained in the report, the national interest must supersede all else.
When dealing with the constitution, abrasive partisan parleys must give way to responsible conversations.
The constitutional term limits for presidents is a delicate subject which most Ghanaians would rather is left as it is. Presidents do not need extended terms to be able to implement their policies; four years are enough to implement game-changing policies.
Sycophants have been active in the past few weeks on the foregone. It is a perilous red line we must, as a people, not cross so we do not compromise the stability of the country.
