Dr. Raymond Atuguba, a lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, on Wednesday called for a constitutional review process that would seek relief for the ordinary Ghanaian from economic and other forms of oppressions.
"Ghanaians will not approve any constitutional amendment, which does not meet them at their point of need, such as securing real liberty and freedom from want and need," he said.
Dr Atuguba, who was speaking at a public lecture organized by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra, said there still existed "colonial characteristics" that oppressed the ordinary Ghanaian in the 1992 Constitution which must be removed.
"It is the colonial air surrounding our constitution which makes us still say things like 'Parliament is Sovereign' when the constitution itself has located sovereignty in the people."
Dr Atuguba described the Constitution as protecting the middle class and expressed shock over the fact that it did not adequately address the human rights needs of the ordinary person.
"I wonder why we do not have a simple provision in our Constitution that protects the sick, especially those in need of emergency care or which protects our mothers from being locked up at hospitals after they are unable to pay their medical bills."
Dr Atuguba called for strong "administrators" who will apply the laws of the land in order for ordinary citizens to enjoy their rights and entitlements.
He described the role of judges as crucial in the effective operation of the Constitution and called on them to use their experiences as well as their legal capabilities to reach "reasoned judgments" that would bring relief to the average Ghanaian.
"No matter how well drafted our Constitution is, judges who possess only one of the two critical indicia of life experience and legal capabilities can stifle its growth and betray the whole constitution," Dr. Atuguba stressed.
He called for what he described as a non-discriminatory approach towards the constitutional review process in order to protect the interest of both the upper and lower classes in society.
Dr Atuguba identified the situation where institutions and some individuals served as spokespersons for others in the communities during constitutional reviews as a worry.
"For constitutional review process to be meaningful, we need to transform the role of the front men so that they do not drown or misinterpret the voices of the people," he said.
Dr. Atuguba called on experts in the constitutional review process to educate the ordinary Ghanaian in advance of the participatory consultations so they can make meaningful inputs.
Mr. Ernest Abotsi, law lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, called for political inclusiveness.
"This will reinforce constitutional stability and will make it harder for illegal attempts at overthrowing the constitutional regime," he said.
Mr Abotsi expressed regret that the executive arm of government had been prone to greater claim in its interpretation and application of powers conferred on it.
"This negative sub-culture has resulted in the failure to carry through some time specific requirements under the constitution such as the Disability Act and the law governing matrimonial rights of spouses," he said.
Mr Abotsi noted that the Supreme Court needed to deal with "certain key problems affecting its credibility and institutional legitimacy," in order to assume its crucial role in interpretation and enforcement of the constitution.
"Perceptions of political partisanship remain a key obstacle that negatively impedes the effectiveness of the institution as a lead constitutional body," he said.
Mr Abotsi called for a constitutional reform that seeks to reinforce the stricture s of accountability of governance institutions while deepening opportunities for engagement with the citizenry.
The three-day series of public lectures organized by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences under the theme: "Constitutional Review in Ghana" was also in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, a German foundation.