By Daniel Bampoe
Controversy has erupted over the Constitutional Review Committee’s (CRC) nationwide consultations, with critics questioning the committee’s failure to engage all 16 regions as part of its constitutional review process.
Opposition members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have raised concerns on social media that the omission of six regions runs contrary to the spirit of Article 35.6(d) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates that the state must “make democracy a reality by decentralising the administrative and financial machinery of government to the regions and districts and by affording all possible opportunities to the people to participate in decision-making at every level in national life and in government.”
At the center of the debate is Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, Chairman of the CRC, who defended the committee’s decision, citing budgetary and logistical constraints as reasons for limiting zonal public engagements to 10 out of the 16 regions.
“We couldn’t do engagements in all 16 regions due to budget constraints; we did 10,” he explained, underscoring the challenges of conducting such an expansive consultation within limited resources.
Targeted Stakeholder Engagements
Despite the criticisms, the CRC reported extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders.
The committee employed a triangulated approach, organizing 10 thematic stakeholder engagements that brought together over 500 experts and practitioners.
These sessions covered critical constitutional themes including Lands and Natural Resources, Decentralisation and Local Governance, Public Services and Ethics, Independent Constitutional Bodies, Political Parties, the Judiciary, Economic Governance, Rights and Inclusion, and Anti-Corruption.
The thematic engagements allowed the CRC to harness specialized knowledge from constitutional scholars, practitioners, and experienced public officials, ensuring that expert insights were integrated into the review process.
Engagements With Identifiable Groups
The committee also held 17 engagements with identifiable groups representing Ghanaian society’s diverse segments, including business leaders, organized labour, academia, security agencies, journalists, the youth, faith-based organizations, diaspora communities, and traditional authorities.
Notably, the committee’s digital engagement through X-Spaces reached 21,000 young people, highlighting a strategic effort to involve the future leaders in shaping the nation’s constitutional landscape.
Through these engagements, the CRC reached over 21,500 individuals, demonstrating a substantial, though not fully nationwide, consultation footprint.
Consultations With Eminent National Figures
In addition to public and stakeholder consultations, the CRC benefited from the insights of 11 eminent Ghanaians with decades of constitutional experience, including President John Dramani Mahama, former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and current Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin.
The committee also engaged key members of the judiciary and parliamentary caucuses, providing historical and institutional perspectives critical for informed reforms.
Nationwide Public Engagements
The CRC conducted 10 zonal public engagements in the capitals of the 10 former regions, drawing 2,436 participants from all walks of life.
Attendees included youth, persons with disabilities, market women, civil servants, Chiefs, Queenmothers, Tindana, civil society actors, security personnel, and students.
These sessions were live-streamed across social media platforms, attracting over 192,000 views on Facebook and more than 114,000 impressions on X, reflecting strong public interest in the constitutional review process.
In total, the committee received 785 written submissions, of which 735 were electronic and 50 were manual, underscoring active citizen participation despite the partial geographic coverage.
Historical Context and Public Scrutiny
The current criticism resonates with Professor Prempeh’s own past statements regarding constitutional compliance and citizen rights.
In December 2020, he had emphasized the need for the Electoral Commission to prevent disenfranchisement during elections, highlighting the importance of adhering to constitutional provisions to avoid political crises.
Critics have pointed to this history to question whether failing to visit all regions for the review process constitutes a similar oversight.
Balancing Constraints And Constitutional Mandates
While the CRC has delivered a broad consultative framework, the debate over regional omissions raises critical questions about balancing logistical constraints with constitutional obligations.
The opposition argues that excluding six regions undermines the inclusive spirit of the democracy, while the committee stresses practical limitations.
