49.9% illiteracy rate among the 15-year old female population is very high, Kwesi.
*This is why we need to tackle the problem from the side of the Constitution. There, it is 'literate people' who will make the amendment needed. They (literate people) understand the economic cost implications of the ever-increaing total population in Ghana and its associated ever-increasing number of MPs.
WHAT CANNOT BE DONE IN ONE WAY, OUGHT TO BE DONE IN ANOTHER WAY, THE SAYING GOES !!!!
ATSU, HO 11 years ago
WE CAN MAKE GOOD COMMENTS WITHOUT NECESSARILY SOUNDING INSULTING WHAT DO YOU THINK? OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO CAP THESE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES, THERE SHOULD BE APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION TO COVER THAT
WE CAN MAKE GOOD COMMENTS WITHOUT NECESSARILY SOUNDING INSULTING WHAT DO YOU THINK? OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO CAP THESE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES, THERE SHOULD BE APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION TO COVER THAT
Monitor 11 years ago
I am not a lawyer, but I think that the Constitution should be amended and fixed geographical boundries used. If you fall into a particular boundry, you have one MP. After all, Bantama as a constituency has over 80,000 voters ... read full comment
I am not a lawyer, but I think that the Constitution should be amended and fixed geographical boundries used. If you fall into a particular boundry, you have one MP. After all, Bantama as a constituency has over 80,000 voters represented by one MP and Tain has about 20,000 and also has one MP. The constitutional experts should frame this idea better. It is ridiculous to continue with the current situation as stipulated in the Constitution. I agree with you Otchere, it's been bothering my mind for so long.
MR. FIGURE- OUT 11 years ago
You have raised an issue which seems to ridicule this write up but it is certainly a point of interest. That is the main reason why the author is calling for the review of the infamous constitutional instrument that allows Af ... read full comment
You have raised an issue which seems to ridicule this write up but it is certainly a point of interest. That is the main reason why the author is calling for the review of the infamous constitutional instrument that allows Afari-Gyan's EC to needlessly create constituencies even when the economy cannot support it. In any case where is the fair representation, as you have posited in your other comment to this same article, when as many as close to 100,000 voters in Domi-Kwabenya has only one representation in parliament whereas Abban Bagbin has less than 30,000 voters in his Nadowli North constituency? Come out of your myopic self for it is 2013 already.
GHANAVIA 11 years ago
JM IS PRESIDENT you call yourself, please, if you have nothing sensible to contribute to educate us, no need for thrash.
JM IS PRESIDENT you call yourself, please, if you have nothing sensible to contribute to educate us, no need for thrash.
JM IS PRESIDENT 11 years ago
HOW CAN YOU HAVE A VIEW IF YOU ARE BLIND AND STOOOOOOPID???!!!! WOW!
HOW CAN YOU HAVE A VIEW IF YOU ARE BLIND AND STOOOOOOPID???!!!! WOW!
jojo 11 years ago
I've been asking the same questions, until i was informed the constitution made provision for it. That part of the constitution needs to be amended, with our size and population we should not have more than 200 constituencies ... read full comment
I've been asking the same questions, until i was informed the constitution made provision for it. That part of the constitution needs to be amended, with our size and population we should not have more than 200 constituencies.
jojo 11 years ago
I've been asking the same questions, until i was informed the constitution made provision for it. That part of the constitution needs to be amended, with our size and population we should not have more than 200 constituencies ... read full comment
I've been asking the same questions, until i was informed the constitution made provision for it. That part of the constitution needs to be amended, with our size and population we should not have more than 200 constituencies.
jojo 11 years ago
I've been asking the same questions, until i was informed the constitution made provision for it. That part of the constitution needs to be amended, with our size and population we should not have more than 200 constituencies ... read full comment
I've been asking the same questions, until i was informed the constitution made provision for it. That part of the constitution needs to be amended, with our size and population we should not have more than 200 constituencies.
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 11 years ago
Otchere I wonder you read government or political science. Every time the population increases, it is perfectlY normal to create new constituencies to have fair representation of the people. This is part of growth and develop ... read full comment
Otchere I wonder you read government or political science. Every time the population increases, it is perfectlY normal to create new constituencies to have fair representation of the people. This is part of growth and development. Forget your needless worry of resources. Any time a new child is born, God also provides a pair of hands to help production. Period. Therefore your argument is unnecessarily irrelevant.
DAN 11 years ago
Are you for real?
Are you for real?
Mohammed Awuni 11 years ago
we currently have 200 useless MPs
we currently have 200 useless MPs
Yarchoe 11 years ago
I agree with you. The MPs we already have actually do nothing at all for the country and the people so why increase them to waste more money.
I agree with you. The MPs we already have actually do nothing at all for the country and the people so why increase them to waste more money.
afua köln 11 years ago
nersdzuhfvi
nersdzuhfvi
Kay,Tema 11 years ago
PA DUMAT ADJOA BEAAD
PA DUMAT ADJOA BEAAD
OTCHERE DARKO 11 years ago
Afua Köln,
I have put that the "word bastards" in "inverted commas, begin and close". That means it is a quote. So don't blame me for its use.
In defence of Rawlings who first used the original, if politicians in Ghana ... read full comment
Afua Köln,
I have put that the "word bastards" in "inverted commas, begin and close". That means it is a quote. So don't blame me for its use.
In defence of Rawlings who first used the original, if politicians in Ghana are not "greedy who are?
Calling a spade a spade is not an insult.
Kwaku 11 years ago
This is what happens when you allowed the EC chairman to wield so much power,Afari Gyan behaved as if he owns Ghana no amount of advice would go into his coconut head.A simple cost and benefit analysis would show that it does ... read full comment
This is what happens when you allowed the EC chairman to wield so much power,Afari Gyan behaved as if he owns Ghana no amount of advice would go into his coconut head.A simple cost and benefit analysis would show that it doesn't make sense to even have 230 MPs much more 275.I don't know how it can be done but may be we've to realign some of the constituencies to reduce the number to 150.
GHANAVIA 11 years ago
We Ghanaians have ourselves to blame.
If we had called for the removal of Afari Gyan , who has overstayed his office by age, all the unnecessary creation of avoidable costs could have been escaped.
We the taxpayers are go ... read full comment
We Ghanaians have ourselves to blame.
If we had called for the removal of Afari Gyan , who has overstayed his office by age, all the unnecessary creation of avoidable costs could have been escaped.
We the taxpayers are going to foot the bills for Afari Gyan's arrogance in creating more constituencies without any due consideration of our dwindling resources and ever rising corruption of political fabrics in Ghana.
Nicholas Osei Kyeretwie-Chicago-USA 11 years ago
Gentlemen the wahala is not Afari Gyan who has discharged his duties as a good ghanaman.I think Ghana should honour the EC boss for seing ghana through all elections with success.The problem lies with the 1992 constitution wh ... read full comment
Gentlemen the wahala is not Afari Gyan who has discharged his duties as a good ghanaman.I think Ghana should honour the EC boss for seing ghana through all elections with success.The problem lies with the 1992 constitution which needs urgent amendments.Ghana is crying for a leader who will think about the country first before anything.The law book is the problem,and i call on ghana to honour afari gyan for a job well done.
Paul Amuna 11 years ago
You make what pear to be sound arguments but don't you think the decisions about new constituencies are far more complex than you portray here?
Perhaps we need to look at public spending in a far more detailed and critical ... read full comment
You make what pear to be sound arguments but don't you think the decisions about new constituencies are far more complex than you portray here?
Perhaps we need to look at public spending in a far more detailed and critical way and examine our priorities and what the nation can afford. By the way you seem to have ignored economic growth and national income in your analysis.
ADAMA- 11 years ago
NDC is purely cursed,made up of fools, animals and thieves. Fire go burn them all thieves-.Nothing good will happen to ghana
NDC is purely cursed,made up of fools, animals and thieves. Fire go burn them all thieves-.Nothing good will happen to ghana
USMAN 11 years ago
Politics is the only lucrative job in Ghana. All you need to be a politician is a university degree and the ability to steal.
Politics is the only lucrative job in Ghana. All you need to be a politician is a university degree and the ability to steal.
Osei Yao 11 years ago
THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE. AMEND ARTICLE 47 TO FIX THE NUMBER OF MPS SAY 200. GIVE THE EC THE POWER TO DEMARCATE CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES SO THAT ALL CONSTITUENCIES HAVE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME NUMBER OF VOTERS. OF COURSE THE NPP ... read full comment
THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE. AMEND ARTICLE 47 TO FIX THE NUMBER OF MPS SAY 200. GIVE THE EC THE POWER TO DEMARCATE CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES SO THAT ALL CONSTITUENCIES HAVE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME NUMBER OF VOTERS. OF COURSE THE NPP WILL ALWAYS CLAIM THE EC HAS BIASED THE BOUNDARIES AGAINST THEM.
Kwadwo Poku 11 years ago
The problem is not population growth nor article 45 of the 1992 constitution which is a sham to begin with. It is incompetence and a subterfuge for one party to have power in perpetuity, pure and simple. The US population of ... read full comment
The problem is not population growth nor article 45 of the 1992 constitution which is a sham to begin with. It is incompetence and a subterfuge for one party to have power in perpetuity, pure and simple. The US population of about 320 million has 535 congress men. Our population of about a questionable 24 million now has 275 parliamentarians. I hope you get the drift as you do the math. lastly, when the foundation of a building is faulty, the building doesn't need repairs or renovations, you tear it down and build anew. That is the fundamental problem we have as a nation. How the president appoints mayors of cities in a constitutional democracy, is beyond me. But then, what did we expect when we allowed an out going military regime to hand pick men to draft the constitution. Very soon I will be posting a piece titled WHEN A CRIMINAL CHATS THE COURSE OF A REPUBLIC. Good Job Otchere.
Titugri 11 years ago
I have always been thinking about this issue and asking myself whether the "smart" guys who added this in the constitution ready gave any serious thought about it.
The USA has a population of 310 million by the 2010 census ... read full comment
I have always been thinking about this issue and asking myself whether the "smart" guys who added this in the constitution ready gave any serious thought about it.
The USA has a population of 310 million by the 2010 census but yet they only have 435 Congressmen and 100 Senators which makes it a total of 535 legislators for the whole country. The USA has been an Independent Country for 236 years, so imagine if they had a stupid constitutional requirement to increase their congressmen and senators in relation to poulation growth like the way Ghana has, how big do you think the number of legislators would have been? And how big a financial burden would that have been for the country?
From the above example you can see the that unless there is a constitutional amendment to Article 47 like the writer suggested Ghana will be creating an unsustainable financial burden now and for coming generations. The sooner the better.
EZEKIEL 11 years ago
An interesting article.Kuffour created 30 Mps in addition and the SC said IT WAS IL-LEGAL. The EC has ADDED 45 and IT IS LEGAL! NOT LONG AGO, there was this CRC (constitutional Review Commission)......Was there ANY RECOMMENDA ... read full comment
An interesting article.Kuffour created 30 Mps in addition and the SC said IT WAS IL-LEGAL. The EC has ADDED 45 and IT IS LEGAL! NOT LONG AGO, there was this CRC (constitutional Review Commission)......Was there ANY RECOMMENDATION here ??In fact, for our population, I DON'T think Ghana needs more than 100 (one hundred) parliamentarians....if the DO THE WORK THEY ARE ELECTED TO DO WITH ALL THE FREEBIES!!!
Kofi Ellison 11 years ago
The “population quota”, referenced in Article 47 of the COnstitution must be cited in context; because the Article specifically uses the word 'alter' according to the 'population quota'. 'Alter' does not necessary mean 'a ... read full comment
The “population quota”, referenced in Article 47 of the COnstitution must be cited in context; because the Article specifically uses the word 'alter' according to the 'population quota'. 'Alter' does not necessary mean 'add'. It seems to me that the intent was to change the number of constituencies based on either population loss or increase in a gvien area pursuant to the national census. Unfortunately, when constituencies were being added for the first time pursuant to Article 47; political leaders in less populated areas argued that they must also be given additional seats because the large goegraphical area added to cost for the MP in responding to constituent needs! As a result, 'alter' has come to be seen as 'add' or 'increase'! At the rate we're going, Ghana will have 1000 seats, before long.
We must have the political maturity to argue that the intent of Article 47 was to either increase or decrease the number of constituencies based on population. Unfortunately, an Article that sought to replicate the USA's constitutional provision regarding the creation of constituencies has been grossly misused with damaging consequences in Ghana.
(I am Kofi Ellison and I approve this message!)
WILLIAM 11 years ago
The people are better represented the more the constituencies;that is the quantity side.In the same way our development is better spread the more the district assemblies and sub-metropoltan units. For quality, that is ensurin ... read full comment
The people are better represented the more the constituencies;that is the quantity side.In the same way our development is better spread the more the district assemblies and sub-metropoltan units. For quality, that is ensuring value for money, you and I should hold our parliamentarians accountable and not wait for another 4 years to act through the ballot box!
Dixy 11 years ago
Democracy has nothing to do with creating more MPs. Nominally, the MPs are expected to represent the people, but when you listen to debates in parliament, it is evident that they only care about their party's stance on issues ... read full comment
Democracy has nothing to do with creating more MPs. Nominally, the MPs are expected to represent the people, but when you listen to debates in parliament, it is evident that they only care about their party's stance on issues. William, you sound like a politician. Tell me, what did the previous number of MPs do for their individual constituents? And how do you hold your parliamentarian accountable and not wait for another 4 years....as you put it? Sounds a good idea but you know it's not going to happen in Ghana. I can't believe you think the current move is offering value for money. Rather, they're costing us a great deal for doing nothing or very little, while majority of people are just trying to survive.
...WHO DROPPED YOU ON YOUR HEAD WHEN HE DELIVERED YOU!
Stop population growth in Ghana and the EC will apply the brakes.
[Uncle] Kwesi Atta Sakyi
You are spot-on right here.
The best solution WOULD have been to "Stop population growth in Ghana and the EC will apply the brakes"
PERFECT SOLUTION BUT......
When it comes to "stop popul ...
read full comment
WE CAN MAKE GOOD COMMENTS WITHOUT NECESSARILY SOUNDING INSULTING WHAT DO YOU THINK? OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO CAP THESE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES, THERE SHOULD BE APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION TO COVER THAT
I am not a lawyer, but I think that the Constitution should be amended and fixed geographical boundries used. If you fall into a particular boundry, you have one MP. After all, Bantama as a constituency has over 80,000 voters ...
read full comment
You have raised an issue which seems to ridicule this write up but it is certainly a point of interest. That is the main reason why the author is calling for the review of the infamous constitutional instrument that allows Af ...
read full comment
JM IS PRESIDENT you call yourself, please, if you have nothing sensible to contribute to educate us, no need for thrash.
HOW CAN YOU HAVE A VIEW IF YOU ARE BLIND AND STOOOOOOPID???!!!! WOW!
I've been asking the same questions, until i was informed the constitution made provision for it. That part of the constitution needs to be amended, with our size and population we should not have more than 200 constituencies ...
read full comment
I've been asking the same questions, until i was informed the constitution made provision for it. That part of the constitution needs to be amended, with our size and population we should not have more than 200 constituencies ...
read full comment
I've been asking the same questions, until i was informed the constitution made provision for it. That part of the constitution needs to be amended, with our size and population we should not have more than 200 constituencies ...
read full comment
Otchere I wonder you read government or political science. Every time the population increases, it is perfectlY normal to create new constituencies to have fair representation of the people. This is part of growth and develop ...
read full comment
Are you for real?
we currently have 200 useless MPs
I agree with you. The MPs we already have actually do nothing at all for the country and the people so why increase them to waste more money.
nersdzuhfvi
PA DUMAT ADJOA BEAAD
Afua Köln,
I have put that the "word bastards" in "inverted commas, begin and close". That means it is a quote. So don't blame me for its use.
In defence of Rawlings who first used the original, if politicians in Ghana ...
read full comment
This is what happens when you allowed the EC chairman to wield so much power,Afari Gyan behaved as if he owns Ghana no amount of advice would go into his coconut head.A simple cost and benefit analysis would show that it does ...
read full comment
We Ghanaians have ourselves to blame.
If we had called for the removal of Afari Gyan , who has overstayed his office by age, all the unnecessary creation of avoidable costs could have been escaped.
We the taxpayers are go ...
read full comment
Gentlemen the wahala is not Afari Gyan who has discharged his duties as a good ghanaman.I think Ghana should honour the EC boss for seing ghana through all elections with success.The problem lies with the 1992 constitution wh ...
read full comment
You make what pear to be sound arguments but don't you think the decisions about new constituencies are far more complex than you portray here?
Perhaps we need to look at public spending in a far more detailed and critical ...
read full comment
NDC is purely cursed,made up of fools, animals and thieves. Fire go burn them all thieves-.Nothing good will happen to ghana
Politics is the only lucrative job in Ghana. All you need to be a politician is a university degree and the ability to steal.
THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE. AMEND ARTICLE 47 TO FIX THE NUMBER OF MPS SAY 200. GIVE THE EC THE POWER TO DEMARCATE CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES SO THAT ALL CONSTITUENCIES HAVE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME NUMBER OF VOTERS. OF COURSE THE NPP ...
read full comment
The problem is not population growth nor article 45 of the 1992 constitution which is a sham to begin with. It is incompetence and a subterfuge for one party to have power in perpetuity, pure and simple. The US population of ...
read full comment
I have always been thinking about this issue and asking myself whether the "smart" guys who added this in the constitution ready gave any serious thought about it.
The USA has a population of 310 million by the 2010 census ...
read full comment
An interesting article.Kuffour created 30 Mps in addition and the SC said IT WAS IL-LEGAL. The EC has ADDED 45 and IT IS LEGAL! NOT LONG AGO, there was this CRC (constitutional Review Commission)......Was there ANY RECOMMENDA ...
read full comment
The “population quota”, referenced in Article 47 of the COnstitution must be cited in context; because the Article specifically uses the word 'alter' according to the 'population quota'. 'Alter' does not necessary mean 'a ...
read full comment
The people are better represented the more the constituencies;that is the quantity side.In the same way our development is better spread the more the district assemblies and sub-metropoltan units. For quality, that is ensurin ...
read full comment
Democracy has nothing to do with creating more MPs. Nominally, the MPs are expected to represent the people, but when you listen to debates in parliament, it is evident that they only care about their party's stance on issues ...
read full comment