John Awuah, CEO of the Ghana Association of Banks, says Ghana’s real problem isn’t the Constitution. Instead, he believes the country lacks strong values and proper enforcement of its existing laws.
The Constitution Is Not the Main Issue
In a LinkedIn post, Mr. Awuah challenged calls for constitutional reform. He argued that Ghana’s challenges are rooted in corruption, impunity, and poor law enforcement.
“While I do not oppose the ongoing work on Constitutional Review,” he wrote, “I am of the firm view that the Constitution is perhaps the least of the challenges confronting Ghana or our democracy.”
He pointed out that some countries don’t even have a written constitution. Yet, they still succeed because they follow strong laws, traditions, and ethical standards.
The Problem Lies in Behavior, Not the Law
Mr. Awuah believes the Constitution is not the cause of Ghana’s problems. He explained that it is people’s actions, not the document, that matter most.
“Our leaders who want to do good can do a lot of good with the Constitution we have,” he stated. He added, “The Constitution does not support corruption, but we are corrupt. It allows for justice, but we see injustice. It opposes crime, yet criminals walk freely.”
Bad Leadership Can Misuse Any System
According to Mr. Awuah, no legal document can fix poor leadership. “We can have a Constitution written by God, and a bad leader will still find ways to misuse it,” he warned. He stressed that real change will only come when Ghana resets its values and applies existing laws firmly.
Enforcement Is Key
Mr. Awuah pointed to developed countries as examples. He said their citizens don’t act better out of love for the rules. Instead, they fear the consistent consequences of breaking them.
“They fear corruption because their laws don’t respect personalities. The law is the law,” he said.
Wrongdoing Has Become the Norm
He also expressed concern that wrongdoing now seems more powerful than honesty in Ghana.
“We have the reverse law syndrome in Ghana,” he said. “The wrong is now right. People who break the law are often the ones with power and wealth.”
Final Warning
Mr. Awuah cautioned Ghanaians not to blame the Constitution for the country’s problems.
“So don’t paint our Constitution black. We are our own demons,” he said. “A lot of good can be done with a bad Constitution, and a lot of bad can be done with a good one.”
In closing, he listed Ghana’s top three problems: “1) Corruption, 2) Corruption, 3) Corruption.”
