Former President Jerry John Rawlings
Former President Jerry John Rawlings has called for the scrapping of indemnity clauses that protect some high-profile politicians.
Mr. Rawlings made the call in his keynote address at a wreath-laying ceremony, parade and durbar at Nungua, Accra, to climax the 40th anniversary of the June 4 Uprising.
According to Mr. Rawlings, there are many constitutional clauses that do not serve the interests of Ghanaians.
He said over the years, the indemnity clauses had emboldened certain characters to abuse their offices and make profit.
The former President said it was quite evident that many Ghanaians were losing confidence in the country’s constitutional mandate.
“The Constitution of the Fourth Republic was created by us, for us and to serve us and in light of the 25 years, there is an unqualified need to reform or rewrite our current Constitution,” he charged.
He said that a constituent assembly must be urgently established with the necessary powers to rewrite the Constitution.
Their job, he stated, would involve reviewing all the constitutional clauses especially the problematic ones like the transitional provisions, indemnity clauses, among others.
This, according to him, would ensure equality before the law to encourage transparency, accountability and responsible governance.
The constituent assembly, according to the former President, would hopefully embody the character of the Ghanaian people to fashion out a developmental agenda that is devoid of blind party allegiances and unscrupulous political promises.
He said “our journey towards a developed nation rather ought to be entrenched.”
Mr. Rawlings highlighted the abuse of the ordinary people across Africa and called for an end to the abuse by political leaders.
He said “when we throw our minds back to the recent image of the great and pious statesman Pope Francis going down on his knees to kiss the feet of warmongering ‘statesmen,’ as a way of pleading with them to recognize and appreciate the value of life and the dignity of their own South Sudanese people, we are reminded about the abuse of power by so-called leaders and herdsmen all over.”
According to him, “Comrade Ibn Chambas could take a cue from his eminence and attempt kissing the feet of some of the Chokosis, the Konkombas and his own Nanumbas and appeal for peace.”
By Melvin Tarlue