Constitutional Rights and Policy Strategy Advisor at Democracy Hub, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has defended the government’s decision not to issue a White Paper following the submission of report by the Constitution Review Committee.
His comments come after the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, confirmed that the government does not intend to issue a White Paper in response to the committee’s recommendations submitted to President John Dramani Mahama.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, Barker-Vormawor argued that the government has multiple avenues to communicate its position on the proposals without issuing a formal White Paper.
According to him, the government can respond through parliamentary debates, representations by members in the National Assembly, and official party positions, allowing for broader participation in the reform process.
Barker-Vormawor referenced the first Constitution Review Commission (CRC I), noting that the issuance of a White Paper at the time attracted significant criticism and undermined public confidence in the process.
He maintained that allowing constitutional reforms to progress through open political debate could strengthen public trust and ensure broader consensus on the proposals.
“I know that some people have expressed the view that they want to hear government’s view on this. I take a different position on it. I think that the government is better served by opening up the debate and opening up the different parties to be involved in the process. Remember that when it came to the CRC I, a lot of criticism about the process was that the government had issued a white paper which people feel took out the steam of the entire report,” he said.
