Former President and Flagbearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama, has reiterated his commitment to abolish the death penalty in Ghana.
Speaking at the launch of Amnesty International’s “State of the World Human Rights Report 2023” and the “Death Penalty Report” at Fiesta Royale Hotel, Mr Mahama emphasized the NDC’s dedication to protecting fundamental human rights and outlining his plans for the complete removal of the death penalty from Ghana’s legal system.
He said, “Over the years, my Party, the NDC, has been committed to ensuring the protection of the fundamental human rights and freedoms of all persons, including persons on death row.”
Mahama recounted the steps taken by his administration to address this issue, including establishing the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) in 2010.
The CRC recommended replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment, a proposal the government accepted, recognizing that “the sanctity of life is a value so ingrained in the Ghanaian social psyche that it cannot be gambled away with judicial uncertainties.”
“As President, I granted amnesty to 1,104 detainees in 2014, 900 persons in 2015, and 896 persons in 2016,” he recounted. This included commuting the sentences of several death row inmates to life imprisonment.
Mahama praised the recent legislative progress led by NDC MP Hon. Francis-Xavier Sosu, resulting in the passage of the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act, 2023, and the Armed Forces (Amendment) Act, 2023. These laws substitute life imprisonment for the death penalty.
Looking ahead to the 2024 elections, Mahama promised further reforms by reviewing Ghana’s 1992 Constitution to remove the entrenched provision in Article 3 of the Constitution and ensure assent to the Armed Forces (Amendment) Act, 2023. I am committed to the complete abolition of the Death Penalty in Ghana,” he declared.
Mahama’s vision includes ratifying the 2nd Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to ensure the permanent removal of the death penalty. He also pledged to commute the sentences of all 184 persons currently on death row upon taking office.
Emphasizing Ghana’s role in the international community, Mahama stated that the time is ripe for Ghana to improve its human rights profile by removing the death penalty from our statute books completely.”
He congratulated Amnesty International and other civil society organizations for advancing human rights in Ghana.
“Yours is a story of how we can work to achieve the needed change and transformation we seek or so desire if we work together,” Mahama said, expressing his hope for continued collaboration.