President Has Too Much Power, It’s Dangerous
President Has Too Much Power, It’s Dangerous
Dr. Eric Bimpong, a lecturer at KAAF University College has voiced apprehension regarding the concentration of power in the hands of the Executive branch, particularly the President, asserting that it poses a significant threat to the country’s development.
Highlighting recent events, Bimpong cited the case of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, whose removal was advocated by a majority of parliamentarians, including the majority caucus.
Despite this, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo insisted on retaining him, underscoring the extent of executive authority.
Drawing from past warnings, he referenced former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s cautionary remarks, suggesting that unchecked presidential power could potentially lead to dire consequences. He quoted Kufuor as expressing concerns that a future president could abuse their authority.
“President Kufuor once said that if Ghana is not careful and gets a wicked president, he will kill all Ghanaians. Because the power in the president is very dangerous,” he indicated during a panel discussion on Opemsuo Radio’s NKwantannanso with Kofi Boakye.
Bimpong questioned the rationale behind granting such extensive powers to the executive, noting the titles “head of state” and “head of government,” which imply allegiance from all three branches of government. He criticized the imbalance of power and the perceived subservience of parliamentarians to the president’s directives.
“See the title we have given to the executive; head of state and head of government. Which means the 3 arms of government pay allegiance to the executive. Why have we given power to one person?”
“Because how can these number of parlimentarians say no to Ofori Atta and the president maintains him? How can president be the class prefect of the parliamentarians?”
Calling for constitutional reforms, Bimpong urged for measures to address what he perceives as a monopolization of power by the president.
“The constitution needs to be amended. The president has monopoly. How has he even used the power to help the country?”
