Hegemonic Presidency: The Cause Of Bad Governance In Sub-Sahara Africa

A hegemonic presidency simply means giving too much power to the executive/presidency. Most constitutions in sub-Saharan African countries grant the president too many powers which turn to breed bad governance and it intended consequences on the citizens. My argument for this essay, therefore, is that giving the president or the executive too much power does not auger well for constitutionalism and good governance in sub-Saharan African countries, precisely Ghana. The executive branch of government is the institution responsible for executing policies. The following are the facts to support the claim

First, the power of the president to create new ministries and department anytime he deems necessary. The civil service amendment act approved by parliament granted the president to the creation of new ministries and departments without any recourse to the legislature (Prempeh, n.d). this provision by the constitution undermines the principle of the constitution and breeds bad governance as the presidency is at the tendency to form bloated government and unaccountability. A clear example is seen under President Nana Akuffo Ado in Ghana. Nana Ado used this power to increase the size of his government by thirty percent. This has affected the economic growth of the country.

Second, the power of the executive to determine and initiate all bills that have financial consequences for the state. Although is the parliament that approves the budget, parliament itself does not have the power to determine and control its own institutional budget. So, you mostly see Ghana parliament complains of lack of funds to perform. Article 108 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana states that any bill that imposes charges on public funds or has a similar effect can not be introduced by Parliament unless it is introduced by or on behalf of the presidency. This reduces the power of parliament and therefore goes against the development of constitutionalism and therefore gave the president the chance to steal without fear of parliament scrutiny (Aryeetey, 2012).

Third, the power of the president to appoint and dismiss ministers in and out of parliament breeds corruption and other bad governance practices such as insider dealings, patron-client politics, and others. This prevents accountability, proper scrutiny, and the principle of checks and balance. Article 78 of the 1992 constitution allows the president to appoint ministers from and outside parliament. This brings about the tendency of bloated and profligate government and tends to disable parliament.

The current composition of the Ghana Parliament and the fact the speaker is elected from the opposition could be a great way to check the supremacy of the executive. But that is subject to the integrity of the house and their love for the country.

In conclusion, the power of the president to appoints ministers prevents proper scrutiny and accountability thereby resulting in bad governance. Also, the power of the president to create new ministries and department brings about corruption and a bloated government. Although These are facts from Ghana to buttress the claim that a hegemonic presidency (too much power of the president) brings bad governance and does not auger well for constitutionalism, they are explicitly displayed in other sub-Saharan African countries. Therefore, I call on all sub-Saharan African countries to revise their constitution to strengthen constitutionalism and champion good governance.