Ghana's Council of State is a ‘rubber stamp' - Dr. Baah

Dr. Amoako Baah, a Political Science Lecturer has likened members of Ghana's Council of State to a rubber stamp who are not serving any significant purpose. On recommendation of the Council of State President John Dramani Mahama released the Montie 3, who are serving four months jail term each at the Nsawman Prisons. He claimed the Council of State just like Parliament condone lawlessness, saying they vote on anything damning future consequences. Dr. Baah stated that there are no checks and balances to put leaders on their toes.

He wondered why tax payers’ money is spent on members of Council of State without any meaningful results. ‘That is the problem, he appoints majority of them, so what do you expect, and even if they decided by voting, which I don’t think he even allowed them to do that, it’s irrelevant he appointed them so what do you think, they will oppose it."

"Council of State is rubber stamp like the majority in Parliament so there are no checks and balances in our system anymore. The president does whatever he wants, he spends money anyhow, you name it means we are almost living in a lawless country, there are no laws, there are no restrictions, he can do whatever he wants, that is the problem,’ he fumed.

Dr. Baah asserted that members of the Council of State lack the legal expertise to advise the president on remission for the Montie trio. ‘I think there is a big flaw in the constitution to say that the Council of State can advise the president on some matters. What are their expertise, what expertise to be able to advise the president, in this case you say Council of State, are they legal minds, are they lawyers, constitutional expertise, or we are basing it on ‘home sense’, that is the problem, so yes its redundancy we shouldn’t have it. The smaller the government, the better we are because we don’t need taxes to support all these people,’ he said.

He suggested that Council of State be resolved, saying the constitution is flawed. He said the president who is trying to appease his party supporters has set a bad precedent tantamount to conflict of interests. According to him, the president should have appealed to the Supreme Court Judges to reduce the sentences and not the other way round.

‘I have always said that the Council of State is a redundant, we are in a poor country why do we have so many people, paying them, giving them houses and all that what do they do, the president has ministers, his party, directors, deputy ministers, managers, special advisers, what do you need Council of State for,’ he asked.