Dr. Kwasi Amakye-Boateng, a Senior Political Science Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, has blamed Ghana’s governance challenges on political practices rather than the constitution.
According to him, the much-anticipated constitutional review will not fix the country’s core issues unless the political elite changes its approach to governance.
“And let me say that this constitution, this constitutional ament that people are pinning their hopes on, will not address the country’s core issues. It is our politics. It comes from our own behavior relative to power when we gain it,” he said.
Dr. Amakye-Boateng, speaking on Accra-based JoyNews on Thursday, February 20, argued that politicians often act based on personal interests rather than public service.
“There are so many people who act based on their own interests and not necessarily with the understanding that they are serving the public interest. People use power to resolve personal issues. It is our politics that is the problem — not the constitution. And to the extent that this behavior comes from us, both past and present governments have been guilty,” he noted.
His comments come in reaction to a presidential directive to reverse appointments made after the 2024 general elections, citing alleged noncompliance with good governance norms.
Commenting on the move, Dr. Amakye-Boateng argued that a change in government should not result in the dismissal of public servants.
“Public servants cannot be touched with a change in government. They should not be touched, and if indeed they have a case, they can go to court and challenge the revocation of their contracts. It should not cover public servants,” he remarked.
