Since Ghana pioneered the APRM in Africa, she has not relented on her efforts to implement the four thematic areas – Democracy and Good Governance, Economic Governance and Management, Corporate Governance and Socio-Economic Development as recommended in the National Programme of Action.
Ghana’s Governing Council likens the APRM to the National Flag and the Coat of Arms as an embodiment of the people and therefore expects all governments, irrespective of their political leanings to implement the National Programme of Action,
The APRM is such a national asset and this vras demonstrated in the presentation of Ghana’s Progress Report in Addis Ababa by Vice President John Mahama.
The presentation of the report by Vice President John Mahama on behalf of President John Evans Mills who had assumed a new administration gave credence to the non-partisan nature of the APRM.
This came as a surprise to other membercountries. On the other hand, it demonstrated the democratic maturity of Ghana.
It therefore did not come as a surprise when on Thursday the 19“* of February, President John Evans Atta Mills delivered the State of the Nation Address in Parliament, and he echoed his government’s commitment to implement a number of recommendations borne out of Ghana’s APRM National Programme of Action.
Some of the recommendations raised in the National Programme of Action which the President gave indication to implement include:
- Abolishing Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
- Reducing number of Ministries from 27 to 24 and Ministers from 88 to 75
- Freedom of Information Bill to be passed
- National Constitutional Review Conference to discuss issues raised by APRM-e.g. Division between Attorney General and Minister of Justice, election of DCEs
- Peer Review between NCCE, Electoral Commission, CHRAJ and Parliament to determine budget instead of Executive fiat
- Assignment of National Service graduates as research Assistants to Parliamentarians and DCEs
- Target 40% of women in public life and to establish Gender Budget monitoring Unit in Ministry of Women and Children to ensure gender equity commitments.
- Establishment of Disability Council
- Establishment of Member of Parliament Constituency Development Fund to reduce conflict between Parliamentarians and DCEs
- Transformation of the Northern Development Fund into Savannah Accelerated Development Authority, among others.
In his State of the Nation address. President John Atta Mills emphasized the need for consensus-building and collaboration to address challenges facing the country.
This is the spirit and letter of the APRM.
The significance of the APRM is that it captures the voices of ordinary people at grassroots as to the challenges confronting the country as one people and also offer solutions to address these.
This is a novelty in governance in Africa and it is based on the bottom-up approach in which governance is indeed of the people by the people for the people.
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