Constitution Day Holiday not illegal – Kyei Mensah-Bonsu

By Abubakr Salim January 9, 2019

The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, has debunked claims that the Constitution Day that was marked last Monday as a public holiday is illegal.

Some Minority MPs including South Dayi MP, Rockson Dafeamakpor have argued that the holiday is illegal especially as the Public Holidays Amendment bill currently before parliament has not been approved. But the Majority Leader said the arguments are unfounded.He said the President has the power to proclaim a holiday by executive instrument which he exercised in December 2018 to make January 7 a holiday.

“Where is the illegality in this? The President can declare any day a holiday by an Executive Instrument, which is what he did so what is unconstitutional about it? If the constitution allows it and he does that, what is the illegality in it? he quizzed.

There have been varied views on the celebration of the Constitution Day.

The Head of European Studies at the University of Ghana, Prof. Yaw Gyampo, in a statement on the matter said the celebration Constitution Day is a celebration of “mediocrity”.

According to him, the 1992 constitution in its current form, “contains monumental hindrances that cannot be glossed over anywhere in the world, where right-thinking people rule,” and as such it’s celebration is inappropriate.

He rather called for urgent reviews and amendment of the document to bring it at par with core principles of constitutionalism.

Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has said that the day is to celebrate, the ‘longest’ period of constitutional rule in the country’s history.

According to President Nana Akufo-Addo, the newly instituted holiday is also to acknowledge the collective efforts of Ghanaians in upholding the tenets of democracy.

source:citinewsroom.com