Mahama Swears in Members of National APRM Governing Council
Ghana prepares for second-generation peer review at upcoming African Union Summit
- President Mahama swears in new APRM Governing Council members.
- Ghana to undergo second-generation peer review next week.
- Council chaired by Professor Akua Kuenyehia to assess governance and development.
President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to a thorough peer review of its governance processes following the swearing-in of members of the National African Peer Review Mechanism Governing Council (NAPRM-GC).
Describing the APRM exercise as “an important opportunity for Ghana to assess progress in governance interventions,” President Mahama emphasized the country’s readiness to participate fully in the upcoming second-generation review. This review is scheduled to take place next week on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“We are willing to lead this process and open ourselves to evaluation,” he stated.
President Mahama noted that Ghana was among the first countries to volunteer for a comprehensive peer review in 2006. He said it has been a matter of national pride that Ghana’s democratic practices and governance standards have been subjected to scrutiny by its continental peers.
He also highlighted the review’s role in evaluating regional inequalities. “The process previously revealed the significant development gap between the Northern belt and the South, which led to the establishment of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to address migration and promote balanced development,” he said. “We now want to understand what progress has been made and what opportunities exist in other parts of the country.”
The newly sworn-in Governing Council will be chaired by Ladyship Professor Akua Kuenyehia. In brief remarks, Professor Kuenyehia thanked the President and assured him of the Council’s commitment to transparency and the independence of governance institutions.
Other members of the Council include Dr. Joseph Whittal, Chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr. Joseph Obeng, Mr. David Ofosu-Dorte, and Mrs. Cornelia Amoah.
Established in 2003 by the African Union, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is a voluntary, mutually agreed self-monitoring instrument designed to promote good governance, political stability, and sustainable development. It facilitates national dialogue and self-assessment across four key areas: democracy and political governance, economic management, corporate governance, and socio-economic development.
