Mahama swears in Council to lead Ghana’s upcoming African Governance Review

President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday inaugurated Ghana’s National African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Governing Council, tasking it with overseeing the country’s participation in a continental governance assessment scheduled for next week.

The swearing-in ceremony in Accra comes ahead of Ghana’s second-generation peer review, which will take place on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In his remarks, President Mahama described the APRM as a crucial instrument for evaluating governance reforms and shaping policy direction. “The APRM provides an important platform for evaluating our governance systems and shaping reforms that strengthen democracy and accountability,” he stated. “We are ready to participate fully and to lead this process.”

The newly constituted Governing Council will guide Ghana’s engagement in the review and contribute to implementing reforms arising from the exercise. It is chaired by former International Criminal Court judge, Professor Akua Kuenyehia.

Professor Kuenyehia thanked the President and assured that the Council would uphold transparency and the independence of governance institutions in its work.

Other members of the Council include Dr. Joseph Whittal, Chairman of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr. Joseph Obeng, Mr. David Ofosu-Dorte, and Mrs. Cornelia Amoah.

The African Peer Review Mechanism is a voluntary self-assessment tool adopted by member states of the African Union to promote political, economic, and corporate governance best practices. Ghana’s participation in the upcoming review signals its commitment to the mechanism’s objectives of fostering accountability and continuous governance improvement.