Martin Amidu and Professor H Kwasi Prempeh
A former Attorney General and Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has accused Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, Chairman of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC), of hypocrisy and selective criticism regarding the Council of State’s role in Ghana’s governance.
In an opinion piece dated May 5, 2025, Amidu, a founding member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), alleged that Prof Prempeh remained silent during constitutional violations under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration, but is now advocating reforms to the Council of State under the NDC government.
Referencing the CRC chairman’s recent public statements, where Prof Prempeh suggested restructuring the Council of State to address its “structural flaws” and “excessive presidential influence,” Martin Amidu described these suggestions as a “covert attempt to prepare the minds of citizens” for constitutional amendments that could alter the unentrenched provisions of Chapter 9 and potentially affect entrenched provisions in Chapter 8 of the 1992 Constitution.
In his opinion piece, Martin Amidu accused Prempeh of double standards, noting his silence during the Akufo-Addo era.
“John Dramani Mahama’s NDC assumed power on 7 January 2025 from Akufo-Addo’s NPP which openly and knowingly raped the constitution without protest, [yet] Kwasi Prempeh now sees his suggestions as endemic sins of the Council of State. This is what is called double speak!” the former Attorney General stated.
Amidu further highlighted Prof Prempeh’s acceptance of a “handpicked” appointment to the Law Reform Commission under Akufo-Addo, despite his current criticism of the council’s appointment processes.
He also questioned the timing of Prof Prempeh’s advocacy, linking it to recent partisan criticisms of the Council of State’s role in the removal of the Chief Justice under Article 146(6) of the Constitution.
He accused the IEA and Prof Prempeh’s Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD-Ghana) of pursuing a “geopolitical agenda” under the guise of neutral Civil Society Organisations, suggesting their actions are strategically aimed at undermining the NDC ahead of the 2028 Election.
“The NDC has chosen to utilise the four-year term of President John Dramani Mahama to sup with the devil by appointing Henry Kwasi Prempeh of the CDD-Ghana to chair its CRC. I only pray that the NDC has a long spoon,” he warned the NDC against aligning with Prempeh.
Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, a legal scholar and Executive Director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), was appointed by President John Dramani Mahama on January 19, 2025, to chair the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC).
The eight-member committee, inaugurated on January 30, 2025, was tasked with reviewing Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, identifying gaps from previous reviews (2010 and 2023), engaging stakeholders, and recommending amendments to enhance democratic governance within five months.
Professor Kwasi Prempeh, following his appointment, lauded President Mahama’s decision as a signal of a commitment to impartial reforms and described as statesmanlike on the part of the president to appoint him, a non-NDC member and vocal critic of the president’s prior administration.
GA/AE
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