Former Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Mohammed Haroon Cambodia, has publicly opposed any proposal to amend Ghana’s 1992 Constitution to extend the presidential term of office beyond the current two four-year terms.
Alhaji Cambodia, who served as a member of the Consultative Assembly that drafted the 1992 Constitution, argued that the existing constitutional arrangement has served Ghana well and should not be altered to allow any president to remain in office beyond the prescribed limit.
According to him, the framers of the Constitution deliberately settled on a maximum of two four-year terms, insisting that eight years is sufficient for any individual to govern the country regardless of their abilities.
“No matter your level of intelligence, eight years is enough. You are not the only person who can develop the country,” he stated, stressing that his position applies to every president and is not directed solely at the current administration.
Touching on the tenure of President John Dramani Mahama, Alhaji Cambodia said the President has already achieved an unprecedented milestone under Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
He explained that Mr. Mahama first completed the remainder of the late President John Evans Atta Mills’ term following his passing, later won a full four-year mandate, and subsequently returned to office after another electoral victory, bringing his total years in office under democratic rule to ten.
He described the achievement as historic, noting that it was attained entirely through constitutional and democratic means rather than through a coup d’état or revolution.
Alhaji Cambodia further maintained that there was no justification for increasing the presidential term from four to five years, arguing that the current arrangement provides an appropriate balance between continuity in governance and democratic accountability.
Reflecting on the intentions of the framers of the Constitution, he said the presidential term limit was designed to safeguard Ghana’s democracy by ensuring that dissatisfied citizens could replace governments through elections rather than military interventions.
He noted that the stability of the Fourth Republic over the past three decades without a successful military takeover demonstrates the wisdom of that constitutional design.
For that reason, Alhaji Cambodia urged President John Dramani Mahama not to pursue any constitutional amendment that would permit him to seek another presidential term.
“This is my candid view,” he stated.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
