Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has called for the establishment of a second, non-democratic chamber to advise presidents and strengthen accountability within Ghana’s governance system.
According to him, the current advisory structure through the Council of State is insufficient.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Emefa Adeti on JoyNews, the former president expressed concern that the Council of State’s in-camera meetings make it difficult to ensure transparency and public accountability.
Kufuor proposed the creation of a second chamber composed of individuals with diverse expertise. Unlike Parliament, members of this body would not be elected through a democratic process but appointed from recognised institutions and among individuals with a strong record of public service.
“In spite of the fact that the committee is composed of quite distinguished people, somehow the perception is that it is more or less mandated to advise just the executive, the president, and meet the president in-camera,” he said.
“So suppose that the president is doing something that perhaps will need to be exposed properly, and even when the national council advises, how would the public get to know?” he asked.
Kufuor argued that a second chamber would provide broader oversight and help balance the political system.
“So I will rather have a second house, composed not so much on the basis of democracy, but from identifiable institutions in the land, and also a few individuals who have served the public, to be there to temper the excesses of democracy,” he stated.
