Mr Yaw Owusu Bimpeh, the Ashanti Regional Representative on the Council of State, has responded to Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere’s description of Mr Fifi Kwetey’s remarks about the PNDC as a “constitutional sin.”
According to him, his attention has been drawn to comments by Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere on Good Evening Ghana, in which he described Mr. Fifi’s remarks about the PNDC as a “constitutional sin.”
Mr. Bimpeh said the 1992 Constitution guarantees every Ghanaian the right to freedom of expression and that Mr. Fifi Kwetey merely expressed the view that Ghana could draw valuable lessons from certain governance practices of the PNDC era, particularly discipline, accountability, and the strict enforcement of environmental and planning laws.
The Council of State rep in a press release stated that holding or expressing such an opinion is not a constitutional offence, but an exercise of a fundamental constitutional right.
He noted that the Fourth Republic, which Mr. Adom-Otchere so passionately defends, emerged from the constitutional transition initiated under the PNDC. “Acknowledging positive lessons from that period is not an endorsement of military rule; rather, it is a recognition that every chapter of our history offers lessons worthy of reflection”, Mr. Bimpeh noted.
He also disclosed that the comments of the General Secretary of the NDC was misconstrued and that his point was not to advocate a return to military governance, but to highlight that, during the PNDC era, environmental sanitation, land use, and physical planning laws were enforced without fear or political hesitation.
At the time, “Unauthorized structures on waterways were removed, communal labour was actively promoted, and environmental indiscipline attracted swift sanctions”, he explained.
He stressed that today, illegal developments on waterways, indiscriminate sale of wetlands, poor sanitation, and weak enforcement of planning regulations continue to fuel the perennial flooding that devastates communities across Ghana.
He said the lesson is clear: democracy must never become an excuse for abandoning the enforcement of the law. He expressed surprise that Mr. Adom-Otchere chose to sensationalize a legitimate political opinion instead of engaging the substance of the issues raised.
He noted that those who regularly present themselves as guardians of constitutional governance should equally appreciate that public commentary carries a responsibility to inform rather than inflame public discourse.
Reacting to Mr. Adom-Otchere’s suggestion that all the NDC’s potential flagbearer aspirants, including the sitting Vice President, are not competent enough to lead the party, Mr. Bimpeh said the NDC neither requires nor seeks validation from political commentators or perceived partisan sympathizers in choosing its leadership.
He said the NDC has every constitutional right to determine its own leadership through democratic processes and that persistent disparagement of every prospective NDC leader only reinforces the perception of political bias rather than objective analysis.
According to him, strong democracies are measured not merely by constitutional provisions, but by the courage of governments and institutions to enforce the law fairly and consistently.
He said Ghana’s challenge is not the absence of democracy; it is the inconsistent application of the laws that democracy provides.
The Council of State member expressed the view that the debate, therefore, should not be about whether anyone longs for military rule. “It should be about whether we have the courage, within our constitutional democracy, to restore discipline, protect our environment, enforce planning regulations, and place the national interest above partisan considerations”.
He emphasised “that is the real lesson he (Fifi Kwetey) sought to convey, and it deserves thoughtful engagement, not political distortion or sensational misrepresentation.”
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