THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN GHANA
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, as an error proceeding from the ruler…I have seen servants on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants-Ecclesiastes 10: 5,7
Sovereignty
as a concept denotes supreme power or authority.[1]
A sovereign is a person who exercises power without limitation.[2]
God, for instance, is the supreme sovereign because of His authority and
control over all things in heaven and on earth. He has nonetheless given the
dominion mandate of this earth to humankind.[3]
The people of this earth are indeed very powerful and ought to recognize the
power they wield. This paper seeks to expose ordinary Ghanaians to the great
power God has given to them over the nation Ghana.
The sovereignty of Ghana resides in the people of Ghana.[4] Consequently, the 1992 Constitution requires that powers of government be exercised judiciously and in a manner that promotes the welfare of Ghanaians.[5] This means that the only powers that have been given to the government under the Constitution are the ones that further public interest and welfare. Although the President, Vice-President, the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice take precedence over all other persons in Ghana,[6] it is argued that the foregoing ranking of leadership according to the 1992 Constitution of Ghana does not mean that any of the stated offices or leaders are more important or powerful than the ordinary Ghanaian citizen. The stated leaders are agents of the people who voted them into power. They have been given the political mandate to represent the interests of Ghanaians, not their personal interests nor that of their political affiliations.
Over the years, there has been a growing perception that Ghanaians are only powerful during an election-year because they have the authority to elect, retain or unseat governments. The sovereignty of Ghanaians, however, does not solely begin and end with voting. Voting is much more than a means through which citizens elect their representatives in a democratic society. It is also analogous to a principal-agent relationship. A principal-agent relationship is a fiduciary relationship by which an entity legally appoints another to act on its behalf.[7] This relationship is based on the understanding that the agent will follow the principal’s instructions and not take personal advantage of the position he has been given to the detriment of the principal’s interests. Besides, an agent’s actions are binding on the principal. Consequently, when the Ghanaian electorate vote a particular political party into office, they become equally responsible for the actions and inactions of the government and elected officials since these leaders now act as their agents. This explains why we should not vote for the sake of voting; we must vote based on a reasoned decision and trust. Why should you vote for a person you do not trust? Remember whoever you vote for is a reflection of how you think, and you are what you think.[8] It is only the unwise who employs a dishonest manager over his business and expects that business to flourish.
A servant is not greater than his master. It is ironic that some Ghanaian leaders who are agents of Ghanaians seem to be more powerful than those who elected them into office. This unfortunate phenomenon is partly due to the wealth or privileges some so-called political leaders tend to ‘amass’ or enjoy during their tenure. In 2016, the approved monthly salaries for a Member of Parliament, the Speaker of Parliament and President of the Republic were GH¢19,430, GH¢24,287 and GH¢30,359 respectively.[9] Interestingly, the least paid public sector worker on the Single Spine earned a monthly salary of GH¢207.90 that same year.[10] This translates into only one percent of what that worker’s agent, a Member of Parliament, received. The recommendations of the Ewurama Addy Committee on the topical issue of ex-gratia were rejected in 2016. This implies that qualified Article 71 office holders such as the President, Vice-President, Speaker of Parliament and Members of Parliament take home four-month salary for each of the years that they have been in office as ex-gratia[11] despite other privileges these leaders enjoy. Although the welfare of our leaders should be given the needed attention and priority, it is unjust to do so without paying reasonable attention to the welfare of the very people who appointed such leaders. The recent deployment of about 800 police personnel to protect Members of Parliament at home, when the constituents they are representing do not enjoy such a privilege, has generated a lot of public interest[12] and outcry because most ordinary Ghanaians feel their welfare are neglected.
Notwithstanding
the numerous benefits our national leaders enjoy, the fact remains that the
most powerful people in Ghana are Ghanaians; not their elected representatives
necessarily. Ghanaians should gain cognizance of their sovereignty as a people
and not allow themselves to be easily swayed by numerous campaign promises
because the hard truth is that we are responsible for the decisions and actions
of the people we elect into office. We must also demand accountability from our
leaders while serving in public offices, not only during elections. Our elected
representatives must never forget that they are elected into office to serve the
interest of the Ghanaian populace, not their personal or political interests.
Richard Obeng Mensah, author of If You Think of Your Opposition You Lose Your Position .The writer is an award-winning author of 7 books and over 250 articles. He is also a certified life and leadership coach, a lawyer, a legal academic and a blogger. Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com © 12 November 2020.
[1]
Cornell Law School ‘Sovereignty’ https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/sovereignty>
accessed 8 November 2020
[2]
Ibid
[3]
Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 24:1; 115:16
[4]
1992 Constitution (Ghana) Art 1(1)
[5]
Ibid
[6]
Ibid Art 57(2).
[7]
James Chen ‘Principal-Agent Relationship’ (2020) < https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/principal-agent-relationship.asp>
accessed 8 November 2020
[8]
Proverbs 23:7
[9]
Kojo Akoto Boateng ‘Full details of huge pay, ex-gratia for MPs, others’ (2017)
https://www.google.com/amp/citifmonline.com/2017/01/full-details-of-huge-pay-ex-gratia-for-mps-others/amp/
accessed 8 November 2020
[10]
Ibid
[11]
Ibid
[12]
Nana Konadu Agyeman ‘800 Police personnel to protect MPs at home-Interior
Minister’ (2020) https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/800-police-personnel-to-protect-mps-at-home-interior-minister.html
accessed 8 November 3030
Very thought proviking
ReplyDeleteNice piece Lawyer
ReplyDelete