President of Ghana

President of the
Republic of Ghana

Presidential Seal of Ghana
Incumbent
John Dramani Mahama
since 24 July 2012
Style His/Her Excellency
Residence Flagstaff House
Term length Four years, renewable once
Inaugural holder Kwame Nkrumah
Republic established
Jerry John Rawlings
Current Constitution
Formation Republic Day
1 July 1960
1992 Constitution
15 May 1992
Salary 144,000 Cedi annually
Website (English) Presidency.gov.gh
(English) Ghana.gov.gh
Ghana
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Ghana
Constitution

The President of the Republic of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana, as well as Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. The current President of Ghana is John Dramani Mahama, who leads the executive branch of the Government of Ghana since succeeding to the presidency on 24 July 2012 and was inaugurated on 7 January 2013.[1]

Eligibility

According to Chapter 8, Article 62 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, a person shall not be qualified for election as the President of Ghana unless:

Oath of office

The president of Ghana must be sworn in by the Chief Justice before the citizens of Ghana at the Independence square in Accra. The president-elect must repeat the following:

"I, _______________ having been elected to the high office of President of the Republic of Ghana do (in the name of the Almighty God swear) (solemnly affirm) that I will be faithful and true to the Republic of Ghana; that I will at all times preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana; and that I dedicate myself to the service and well-being of the people of the Republic of Ghana and to do right to all manner of persons.

I further (solemnly swear) (solemnly affirm) that should I at any time break this oath of office; I shall submit myself to the laws of the Republic of Ghana and suffer the penalty for it. (So help me God)".[3]

Insignia

After the oath of office has been taken by the elected president, these following insignia are handed over to the president. These devices are used to display the rank of his/her office and are used on special occasions.

Powers and duties of the president

Presidential styles of
John Dramani Mahama
Reference style 'His Excellency President of the Republic of Ghana"
Spoken style Your Excellency"
Alternative style Mr. President

Chapter 8 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana states the duties and the powers of the President. The president is required to:

Also, the president is given the powers:

The President may execute or cause to be executed treaties, agreements or conventions in the name of the Republic of Ghana.[2] The President shall take precedence over the populace of the Republic of Ghana and may refer important policy matters to a national referendum, declare war, conclude peace and other treaties, appoint senior public officials, and grant amnesty (with the concurrence of the Parliament of Ghana).[2] In times of serious internal or external turmoil or threat, or economic or financial crises, the president may assume emergency powers "for the maintenance of national security or public peace and order".[2]

The President shall be removed from office if he/she is found, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana Chapter 8 section 69 (ii) – prejudicial or inimical to the economy or the security of the Republic of Ghana.[2] The President shall cease to hold office as the President of the Republic of Ghana on the date the Parliament of Ghana decides that he/she be removed from office.[2]

List of Presidents of Ghana (1960–present)

  Convention People's Party   People's National Party   National Democratic Congress   New Patriotic Party   Military

# Name
(Born–Died)		 Picture Took office Left office Elected
(Parliament)		 Political Party
Presidents of the Republic of Ghana (First Republic: 1960–1966)
1 Dr.h.c. Kwame Nkrumah
(1909–1972)		 1 July 1960 24 February 1966
(Deposed in a coup d'état)		 1960 (1st) Convention People's Party
Presidents as Head of State (Second Republic: 1966–1972)
1 Major-General Joseph Arthur Ankrah
(1915–1992)
(Chairman of the National Liberation Council)		 24 February 1966 2 April 1969 — National Liberation Council
2 Brigadier Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa
(1936–1979)
(Chairman of the National Liberation Council until 3 September 1969, thereafter Chairman of the Presidential Commission)		 2 April 1969 7 August 1970 — National Liberation Council
3 Nii Amaa Ollennu
(1906–1986)
(Acting President)		 7 August 1970 31 August 1970 — Independent
4 Edward Akufo-Addo
(1906–1979)
 31 August 1970 13 January 1972
(Deposed in a coup d'état)		 — Independent
5 Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong
(1931–1979)
(Chairman of the National Redemption Council until 9 October 1975, thereafter Chairman of the Supreme Military Council)		 13 January 1972 5 July 1978
(Deposed in a palace coup d'état)		 — Supreme Military Council
6 Lieutenant-General Frederick Fred William Kwasi Akuffo
(1937–1979)
(Chairman of the Supreme Military Council)		 5 July 1978 4 June 1979
(Deposed in a coup d'état)		 — Supreme Military Council
Presidents as Head of State (Third Republic: 1979–1981)
1 Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings
(1947–)
(Chairman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council)		 4 June 1979 24 September 1979
(1st Term)		 — Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
2 Dr. Hilla Limann
(1934–1998)		 24 September 1979 31 December 1981
(Deposed in a coup d'état)		 1979 (1st) People's National Party
3 Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings
(1947–)
(Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council)		 31 December 1981 7 January 1993
(2nd Term)		 — Provisional National Defence Council
Presidents of the Republic of Ghana (Fourth Republic: since 1993)
1 Jerry John Rawlings
(1947–)		 7 January 1993 7 January 2001
(2nd Term)		 1992 (1st)
1996 (2nd)		 National Democratic Congress
2 John Agyekum Kufuor
(1938–)		 7 January 2001 7 January 2009[4] 2000 (3rd)
2004 (4th)		 New Patriotic Party
3 Dr. John Evans Atta Mills
(1944–2012)		 7 January 2009[4] 24 July 2012[5]
(Died in office)		 2008 (5th) National Democratic Congress
4 John Dramani Mahama
(1958–)		 24 July 2012[6] Incumbent (mandate expires 7 January 2017)[1] 2012 (6th) National Democratic Congress

Residence

Flagstaff House

General information
Location Accra, Ghana
Current tenants John Dramani Mahama

The President of Ghana's official residence was Osu Castle (also known as Fort Christiansborg or Christiansborg Castle) in Accra. In 2007, The opposition MPs in Ghana stormed out of a parliamentary debate on whether to take out a $50m loan to build a new presidential palace. MPs from President John Kufuor's New Patriotic Party voted unanimously in favour of taking the loan from India.[7]

They argued that the President should not be based in Osu Castle, where slaves used to be kept. The opposition National Democratic Congress said the money would be better spent elsewhere.[7] The old flagstaff house used by Ghana's first president as a residence is being renovated into a museum, while the grounds on which it stands is being built up as an ultra modern office complex and residence for the president and vice-president of Ghana as well as their staff.[7] The new presidential palace was expected to be completed by August 2008 but was finally completed in November 2008. At the inauguration of the new presidential palace, President John Kufuor revealed to the press that the new name of the palace would be Golden Jubilee House. The name was chosen in reference to the 50th anniversary of Ghana's Independence.[7]

Part of the office space has been given to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when it had to be relocated because of a fire that guttered its offices. The NDC government refused to move to the venue after it assumed office in 2009 noting that some of the work in the residency is not completed. The government of President Atta Mills also noted that the National Security establishment Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) wanted to ensure that security at the venue was improved before the government moved in. The name has been changed to Flagstaff House. On 7 February 2013, the office of the Presidency was finally moved to the flagstaff house.[8]

Transport

Dassault Falcon 900 – The official Ghanaian presidential Jet aircraft

National transport services for the Ghanaian President are:[9]

Air transport services for the Ghanaian President are:[10]

The presidential aircraft uses the colour scheme as the flag of Ghana in stripes, except for the use of the Ghanaian coat of arms on the empennage instead of the flag of Ghana.

Dassault Falcon 900 EX of the President of Ghana

In the autumn of 2012 a jet aircraft was acquired in the Golden Jubilee House. According to the Chief of the Golden Jubilee House Property Agency acquisition of a Embraer 190 jet aircraft for the President costed 105 million cedis (about $55 mln). The jet aircraft planned location is in the Ghanaian Presidential Retreat's Peduase Lodge.[11]

Timeline since 1960

John Dramani Mahama John Atta Mills John Kufuor Jerry Rawlings Hilla Limann Jerry Rawlings Fred Akuffo Ignatius Acheampong Edward Akufo-Addo Nii Amaa Ollennu Akwasi Afrifa Joseph Arthur Ankrah Kwame Nkrumah

Latest election

Candidate Party Votes %
John Dramani MahamaNational Democratic Congress5,574,76150.70
Nana Akufo-AddoNew Patriotic Party5,248,89847.74
Paa Kwesi NduomProgressive People's Party64,3620.59
Henry Herbert LarteyGreat Consolidated Popular Party38,2230.35
Ayariga HassanPeople's National Convention24,6170.22
Michael Abu Sakara FosterConvention People's Party20,3230.18
Jacob Osei YeboahIndependent15,2010.14
Akwasi Addai OdikeUnited Front Party8,8770.08
Invalid/blank votes251,720 –
Total11,246,982 100
Registered voters/turnout14,158,890 79.43
Source: Electoral Commission of Ghana

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama sworn in". english.sina.com. Sina Corp. 7 January 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The President – Chapter 008 – The Constitution of the Republic of Ghana 1992 – The Executive. judicial.gov.gh. Judiciary of Ghana.
  3. ↑ The Constitution of the Republic of Ghana 1992 – The Oath of Allegiance. judicial.gov.gh. Judiciary of Ghana.
  4. 1 2 "Profile: Ghana President John Atta Mills". BBC World News. 3 January 2009.
  5. ↑ "Ghana's President John Atta Mills dies". BBC World News. 24 July 2012.
  6. ↑ "Atta Mills dies". New York Times. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Ghana unveils presidential palace". BBC News Online. 2008-11-10. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  8. ↑ President Mahama Moves To The Flagstaff House. presidency.gov.gh.
  9. ↑ President's transports. Cars. Government allocates Kufuor two Mercedes Benz cars, two four-wheel to follow
  10. ↑ President's transports. Air transport. Veep Inaugurating Falcon 900 EX EASY Presidential Jet
  11. ↑ "Ghana gets a New Presidential Jet". adeparadio.com. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
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