Former President Jerry John Rawlings says the Council of State, an advisory body partly elected and appointed to advise the president on matters of national importance, should always be ready to offer advice to the president on matters that inure to the greater good of the country.
Speaking alongside former President John Kufuor at a public forum titled Ghana Dialogue, Mr. Rawlings, whose presentation dwelt heavily on his days in office as a military and civilian ruler, said as an advisory body, the council is better placed to offer counsel on wide range of issues that he, the president, may not be in a position to know.
It is therefore important, he explained, for those constituting the council to be selected on the basis of expertise and not their political affiliations.Â
Mr Rawlings said such an advisory body is the “ears and eyes†of the people, and their day to day interactions with them could guide the path of government.
He said the advisory body should also have an interest in the operations of the various sectors of governance, especially the ministries so they can offer effective perspective on their operations to the presidency.
According to Mr Rawlings, the president should also ensure he does not take for granted the intelligence he gets from the council, else it will be difficult for them to tell him to cover himself when "his nakedness" is seemingly exposed.
primenewsghana.com/ Ghana News