The Minister for Information, Mr. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has underscored the need for a comprehensive legal framework to address ambiguities in governance communication.
He explained that ambiguities within the law often led to misunderstandings when conveying government programmes, hampering the government’s communication efforts.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah made the call during the launch of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Law Alumni Association and Public Lecture.
He stated, “There are parts of the legal framework that have clarity and facilitate the communication of governance. It is the ambiguous parts that create confusion in communicating governance, and amendment efforts should be seen through to their logical conclusion urgently. Other non-legal imperatives necessary to facilitate agenda setting should also be urgently attended to.”
According to the Minister, there was a need for clarity in defining the mandates and roles of various government entities.
He noted that although Article 67 of the constitution designates the President as the nation’s executive authority and defines his role in conveying government actions and policies to the public, the legal framework lacks specificity in that regard.
The President reserves the right to appoint sector Ministers to help execute the agenda of his policy areas, be it education or health, he added.
The Minister further noted that despite the clarity of these constitutional directives, the legal framework lacked clarity in defining the mandates and roles of various government entities.
“Executive Instruments (EIs) that established Ministries failed to specify their mandates,” he stressed.
He advised that Civil Service and President’s Office Act reform should be expedited to improve the efficiency of government operations.
Joyce Adwoa Animia Ocran, ISD
