For the sake of brevity, I will attempt to summarise my understanding of Chapter Two of 1992 Constitution: The power to create a new region is vested in the President and the Constitution has prescribed the procedures to be followed when creating a new region:
1. A particular geographical area petitions President that they need a region, the President upon the advice of the Council of State will appoint a Commission of Inquiry to investigate into the viability of creating a new region(s).
2. If the President thinks there is the need to create a new region(s), and he will have to appoint Commission Inquiry in consultation with the Council of State to investigate into the viability of creating a new region(s).
If the Independent Commission of Inquiry recommends the creation of new region(s), then the Electoral Commission will hold a referendum in area for the people to decide whether or not they want a new region.
Who is eligible to vote in such a referendum will be contentious, but I will leave that for another day discussion.
Comrades, We don’t have a Council of State and there is no any independent Commission of Inquiry report supporting the creation of new region(s), so why the Minister for Regional Reorganisation now ?
I have always maintained we need to be plagiarising best practices from advanced democracies. The UK only appointed State of Secretary for Exiting the European Union, after the British people voted in a referendum to leave the European Union.
At least President Nana Akuffo Addo should have waited for an Independent Commission of Inquiry to support the creation of new a region(s) before going ahead to appoint a Minister for Regional Reorganisation.
I am minded ours is an executive Presidential system, with the President wielding too much powers including creating jobs for his party men and women, but such executive powers ought to be exercised within the parameters of the Constitution.
The appointment of a Minister for Regional Reorganisation itself is not unconstitutional, but there is a tendency the Minister is likely to be doing the work of an independent Commission of Inquiry, before the Commission is constituted. And if this happens, then both the Minister and the President will be in breach of the Constitution.
Comrades, We need to protect and defend our Constitution by taking a clue from what is happening in the United States; the Judiciary is preventing President Trump from abusing his Executive powers.
Enjoy the weekend Comrades!
The writer is a political and social commentator.