Akufo Addo must show greater commitment to constitution than making it a holiday – Lawyer

A Private legal Practitioner, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe believes the best way of honoring Ghana’s constitution is for President Akufo Addo to show greater commitment to the laws enshrined in the constitution than making it a public holiday.

He noted that, government’s decision to declare 7th January a public holiday is more political than legal.

The day was set aside by the Akufo-Addo administration to recognize the coming into force of the 1992 constitution and the beginning of the 4th Republic.

However, speaking on Kasapa Fm’s Anopa Kasapa show Tuesday, lawyer Tamakloe said although the president did no wrong in making the day a holiday, it could have been observed in a manner that brings out the significance of the celebration.

“It’s more political than legal, it’s like the dream or desire of a certain president to have a special day to celebrate his ancestors as a republic holiday. The consequence is more political than legal. There are issues about governance that we sometimes gloss over, so let’s look at it this way, if the president desires to declare a day as a holiday, he has the power so to do. All you do is to come with executive instrument and that’s all that the law says he should fulfil and he’s good to go. As to whether it is proper or prudent, it becomes the question of varied judgment”.

He added: “For me I think a day like “republic day” is significant and you cannot compare it to “constitution day” because the significance of that republic day, together with our “independence day” is to remind us of two significant things in our lives”.

Meanwhile in a lecture organized in commemoration of the occasion, Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Bondzi-Simpson wants the occasion to provide space for a sober reflection of efforts at nationhood, with district-level public education to re-orient and rededicate ourselves to public service.

He however call for the need for Ghanaians to be forward looking and be adherent to the national constitution.