Ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has called for the creation of a second chamber within the Council of State, to strengthen accountability and improve the quality of public appointments.
The former president, who described the second chamber as “House of Wisdom and Experience’ in an interview with Joy News, said the house which will be made up of respected individuals drawn from key national institutions will also help enhance transparency within the country’s governance system.
Though the former president acknowledged that the existing Council of State is composed of distinguished individuals, he stated that its businesses are largely held in-camera, which has over the years prevented the public from knowing whether the advice offered to the president is accepted or rejected, hence the need for the establishment of a second chamber.
“So I will rather have a second house, composed not so much on the basis of democracy, but from identifiable institutions in the land, and also a few individuals who have served the public, to be there to temper the excesses of democracy,” he stated.
According to him, the proposed body should consist of about 50 and 60 members who would be tasked with vetting individuals nominated for key public offices, to ensure appointments are based on merit.
“When they sail through their vetting within such a body with their activities done publicly and open, then I think we will get far better quality than we are getting so far. The house will also debate on all public issues. Their purpose is not to defeat democracy, no. The house of democracy is the legislature, but to temper the excesses of democracy,” he added.
He also indicated that the proposed chamber would operate objectively and remain non-partisan while helping to moderate the excesses of democratic governance as well as guide national decision-making.
Mr. Kufuor also suggested that members of the chamber should not be elected through the usual democratic process but should rather be appointed from recognised institutions and among individuals who have demonstrated distinguished service to the country.
“In spite of the fact that the committee is composed of quite distinguished people, somehow the perception is that it is more or less mandated to advise just the executive, the president, and meet the president in-camera.
“So suppose that the president is doing something that perhaps will need to be exposed properly, and even when the national council advises, how would the public get to know. So I will rather have a second house, composed not so much on the basis of democracy, but from identifiable institutions in the land, and also a few individuals who have served the public, to be there to temper the excesses of democracy,” he noted.
Mr. Kufuor further mentioned that low remuneration by government officials and public servants contribute significantly to corruption, adding that improving governance requires paying public servants well while enforcing strict penalties for those who continue to engage in corrupt practices.
The former president, who cited the example of Lee Kuan Yew, a former leader of Singapore, stated that ministers and senior public officials should be paid salaries comparable to top corporate executives to attract and retain the best talent in government.
“The people used to fashion these policies are as good as the people in the corporate world getting fat salaries, so they must be paid like the people in the corporate world,” he stressed.
“When you choose to be in the public sector, to be well-paid, and you allow yourself to be tempted into red tape and corruption and you are caught, some of the worst punishments would be visited on you,” the former president added.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah