Letter To Jean Mensah: Re-demarcation Of Jomoro Constituency

Mrs Jean Mensa
Chairperson, Electoral Commission of Ghana
Ridge - Accra.
Dear Madam,
RE-DEMARCATION OF JOMORO CONSTITUENCY

My name is DAVID ACKAH-MIEZAH, a native of Jomoro constituency in the Western Region.

Herein have I the honour to write to you on the need for the re-demarcation of the Jomoro constituency based on the following constitutional provisions:

First, article 47(3) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana states that “The boundaries of each constituency SHALL be such that the number of inhabitants in the constituency is, as nearly as possible, EQUAL TO THE POPULATION QUOTA (emphasis mine.)

Madam, today, as I write to you, Ghana’s population, according to the Ghana Statistical Service, is 30,280,811. The current number of constituencies Ghana is divided into is 275. Therefore, the population quota is 110,112. But, in the Jomoro constituency, the number of inhabitants, according to the 2010 Housing and Population Census (PHC), stands at 191,987, an excess of more than 74 percent – over and above and nearly twice the population quota as stipulated by the Constitution. What this means in reality is that, as many as 81,875 inhabitants – NEARLY EQUAL TO THE POPULATION QUOTA – in the Jomoro constituency are not represented in Parliament. This quota disparity has resulted in the unfair representation of the people of Jomoro in Parliament. The people of Jomoro are currently under represented in Parliament. This puts a lot of undue pressure on the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency. This is unconstitutional and affront to the egalitarian principles of fair representation as provided for in the Constitution.

Second, article 47(5) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana says, “The Electoral Commission SHALL review the division of Ghana into constituencies AT INTERVALS OF NOT LESS THAN SEVEN YEARS (emphasis mine), or within twelve months after the publication of the enumeration figures after the holding of a census of the population of Ghana, whichever is earlier, and may, as a result, alter the constituencies.” This is mandatory. The Electoral Commission is compelled by the Constitution to review constituencies in the manner stipulated by the Constitution.

The last time the constituencies were reviewed by the Electoral Commission was in 2012 – seven years ago. Therefore, the next review is due to be done this year, 2019.

From the preceding prima-facie evidence, I, therefore, pray the Electoral Commission to, as a matter of urgency, execute its constitutional mandate and redemarcate the Jomoro constituency into two – preferably Jomoro East and Jomoro West – ahead of the 2020 elections for equal and better representation of the good people of Jomoro as envisaged by the framers of the 1992 Constitution.

At this juncture, it is worth adding that this letter does not in any way seek to pile pressure on the Electoral Commission to create new constituencies, but rather to remind the Electoral Commission that the creation of new constituencies is not dictated by the government of the day; nor is it determined by the discretion of the Electoral Commission or subject to the convenience of political parties neither is it inclined to the sentiments of critics, but only by the injunction of the Constitution.

I, therefore, hope this letter spurs you on to carry out your constitutional mandate.

I am counting on your cooperation.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
David Ackah-Miezah
A concerned native of Jomoro