The Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) has proposed far-reaching reforms to Ghana’s system of ministerial appointments, recommending that no sitting Member of Parliament (MP) should be appointed as a Minister or Deputy Minister.
In its final report presented to President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, December 22, the Committee said the proposal aims to draw a clearer line between the legislature and the executive, thereby strengthening accountability and enhancing Parliament’s oversight role.
According to the Committee, Article 78(1) of the Constitution should be amended “to provide that no Member of Parliament may be appointed a Minister of State or a Deputy Minister or Regional Minister.” The CRC further proposed a companion amendment to prevent MPs from resigning their seats simply to gain ministerial appointments. Under this recommendation, any MP who resigns from Parliament would still be ineligible for appointment as a Minister, Deputy Minister or Regional Minister for the remainder of the parliamentary term for which they were elected.
Presenting the report, Chair of the Committee, Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh, explained that the reform is meant to reinforce the doctrine of separation of powers and ensure that Parliament can hold the executive fully accountable without conflicts of interest.
Beyond the issue of MPs serving as ministers, the CRC also proposed limits on the size of government. It recommended an amendment to Article 78(2) to cap the total number of Ministers of State, including Deputy Ministers and Regional Ministers, at three times the number of Cabinet Ministers. Since Article 76(1) limits Cabinet Ministers to a maximum of nineteen, this would mean the total number of ministers should not exceed 57.
The Committee also recommended that Presidents should no longer appoint Deputy Regional Ministers, describing the position as unnecessary within the proposed streamlined structure.
However, the CRC left room for flexibility in exceptional circumstances. It proposed that where a President wishes to appoint a Minister of State beyond the approved ceiling, the President must provide Parliament with written reasons justifying the additional appointment and obtain prior parliamentary approval. Such approval, the Committee noted, should be granted “by a simple majority of all Members of Parliament.”
