‘I hate it utterly’ – Historian calls on Mahama to scrap Council of State

A historian and lawyer, Anokye Frimpong, has called for the complete scrapping of the Council of State, stating that it is something that is no longer relevant.

He explained that while he feels the Council of State no longer serves a meaningful purpose, he utterly hates the composition of the Council.

Speaking in a GTV Breakfast show interview, the historian said that there is the need for the scrapping of the Council of State because the purpose for which it was constituted is defeated.

He added that even though it appears the work of the body is to advice the president, in reality, the president does not work by their advice.

“We have to give great respect to the chiefs, and that means that we abolish the Council of State… I hate it utterly because when you read the constitution, they give advice only to the president, but the president, before calling himself a politician, knew the wisdom he has got, and as Mr Mahama was speaking to Ghanaians, he has got his manifesto in his pocket; he knew what he was going to do.

“He’s got a cabinet, beyond the cabinet, he has got extended ministers and then MMDCEs, so why a Council of State?” he said.

Anokye Frimpong further stated how worrying it is that the composition of the Council of State is without the people who could adequately help it function.

Confident that with young people on the Council, it will make a great difference, he urged that chiefs are also given a seat there so that they are held liable for such environmental ills like illegal mining (galamsey).

“And so sad, not even made up of the youth, who have fresh ideas to share, but old people like a retired Chief Justice, who goes on pension at the age of 70, and you retire on your salary, and you go and sit there and earn extra income.

“A retired Chief of Defence Staff, who has been to so many peace-keepings and earned plenty dollars. This man is sitting there making money… please, I believe that the time comes when you should respect our chiefs; put them there because for them, if they are there, you could blame them for the galamsey menace because they are directly part of the administration of the country,” he explained.

Anokye Frimpong has, therefore, called on the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, to ensure that should he win the 2023 general elections, he cancels the Council of State.

Watch him speak below: