VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DIVIDED OVER VEEP'S ROLE (PAGE 16)

THE Vice-Presidential candidates of the four political parties with representation in Parliament have expressed mixed feelings over the amendment of provisions of the constitution on the role of the Vice-President.
While two of the Vice-Presidential candidates, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Mr John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said they would call for the establishment of a constitutional review committee on the role of the Vice-President, Dr Abu Foster Sakara of the Convention People's Party (CPP) and Ms Petra Amegashie of the People’s National Convention (PNC), however, contended that the 1992 Constitution be allowed to work for some time before any repeal of the provisions of the role of the Vice-President is made.
The 1992 Constitution assigns special roles such as the Chairmanship of the Ghana Police Service Council, Ghana Prisons Service Council and that of the Ghana Armed Forces, to the Vice President.
Due to the rift between the former President and his Vice in 1992, those provisions were repealed when the Vice-President refused to resign.
The candidates who had given their family and educational backgrounds at the first-ever Vice- Presidential debate in Coast Cape on Friday also gave hints of resigning from a government that failed to take action against any official found to have engaged in corruption.
They believed that a strong political will was vital to tackle the canker of corruption in the country and would therefore strengthen institutions with the mandate to check and fight corruption.
Dr Bawumia, Dr Sakara, Mr Mahama and Mrs Amegashie expressed the commitment of their parties to fight corruption, at the first-ever vice- presidential debate organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) at the Centre for National Culture in Cape Coast last Friday.
The vice-presidential debate was aired live from 6 p.m. on Ghana Television (GTV), GBC Radio, Joy FM and other media outlets in the country.
The moderators of the event were Prof. Ivan Addae-Mensah, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, and Mr Israel Laryea of Joy FM. The two also moderated the presidential debate in Tamale.
Out of the four candidates, three are from the north and the only female is from the south.
The debate which was on the theme: "Strengthening the Pillars of Ghana's Democracy", fielded questions on economic, governance and social issues.
Dr Bawumia said the fight against corruption was key on the agenda of the NPP government as it demonstrated through the system with the Whistle Blowers Act, Public Procurement Act, repeal of the Criminal Libel Law and the public sitting of the Public Accounts Committee.
He said Nana Akufo-Addo’s government would strengthen the Serious Fraud Office and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice to make them more effective.
For his part, the NDC's vice-presidential candidate, Mr Mahama, said the most important ingredient needed for fighting corruption was political will and that without the political will, it would be difficult for the state institutions charged to do that to carry out the task well.
He said on assumption of power, the NDC would convert the SFO into an independent Fraud Commission, in addition to strengthening the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Mrs Amegashie said the issue of corruption needed to be tackled head-on and that the PNC was going to use all the mechanisms to do that effectively.
Dr Sakara noted that corruption needed to be fought by example, and that when the CPP took over the administration of the country, it would adhere strictly to a declaration of assets regime and go ahead to set up a review institution to check on the assets declared by public officials.
He said the punishment for corruption would be stiff and clear to serve as a deterrent to others.
On tackling the issue of indiscipline, Mr Mahama said no child is born indisciplined, and that it is social acculturation that makes people indisciplined, and that following the breakdown of traditional values, people are now becoming westernised.
Dr Sakara said having spent more time with the family, civil education and engagement in community service would help address the issue of indiscipline.
He believed the idea of one-year military service would help ensure a disciplined society.
Mrs Petra Amegashie said the issue of discipline needed the collective efforts of all.
Dr Bawumia said the role of the family in ensuring a disciplined society was very important through the educational system.
In addition to free education the candidates said it was important to tackle the issues of logistics and free feeding together.
The candidates agreed that putting in place the right measures to make the disabled assume their rightful place in society was laudable because disability is not inability.
According to them, equipping them with employable skills, among other social interventions, were vital to improving their lot.
On what impressed and depressed them most on their campaign tours, they said poverty depressed them most and the willingness of the people to make the most out of it impressed them most during their campaign tours.
They all underscored the need to improve the living standards of the people.