Extend presidential tenure to five years - Prof. Okine

Renowned Poet, Professor Atukwei Okine, has said the four-year presidential tenure is insufficient and must be extended to five to give the president time to solve Ghana's problems.

Former president John Agyekum Kufuor shortly after leaving office made a similar call asking for the constitution to be amended to extend the tenure of the president from the current four to five years.

Mr. Kufuor argued this would give presidents adequate time to implement meaningful policies.

His proposal was shot down by many analysts. But Professor Okine has revived the debate, saying it will be extremely difficult for Ghana’s economy to be developed with a presidential tenure of four years.

Speaking at the Ghana Economic Summit in Accra organised by the Business and Financial Times, the Pan Africanist said a five-year tenure would be more appropriate for a President to implement most of his policies.

“It is possible to solve the problems of Ghana, we have heard about the need for mopping up resources within the country that is fantastic… the minds we have in Ghana are similar to the Ghanaian minds who are solving the problems of the world outside.

“There is one thing that has to be done politically… let us expand the four years to five years and give them time to do things around and solve our problems,” Prof. Okine said.