Dr. Janet Ampadu Fofie, the Chairperson of the Presidential Emoluments Committee, has stressed that, should the necessity arise, a national referendum will be conducted to modify Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution.
Following the President’s formation of a committee to examine ex-gratia for public officers, attention has turned to emoluments for holders of Article 71 offices.
Proposals to repeal or modify Article 71 have acquired a lot of momentum recently around the country.
Speaking at a symposium in Accra on the benefits and privileges of Article 71 officeholders, Dr. Janet Ampadu Fofie emphasized the difficult process of changing long-standing laws like Article 71.
“I also would like us to bear in mind that Article 71 is one of the entrenched provisions, apparently, in the Constitution, and as such has very, very strict rules relating to its removal, its cancellation, or its amendment.
“Yes indeed, the provision can be amended, but there are strict constitutional processes that must be followed to change this provision in any form, foremost among which is the requirement for a national referendum, which I believe we could consider if need be, as we have successfully done with some instances since 1992.”
