No Servant Can Serve Two Masters: Allegiance, Accountability and the Case Against the Proposed Dual-Citizenship Amendment

Accountability enforces this relationship. Consequently, an eligibility rule tied to allegiance is not a prediction about future conduct but a condition of entry, comparable to age qualifications or rules of incompatibility. Constitutions routinely employ such mechanisms, and Ghana’s Constitution expressly does so. Article 284 prohibits a public officer from placing himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts, or is likely to conflict, with the performance of his official functions. Article 287 treats such a conflict as a constitutional contravention. The disjunctive wording is significant: the Constitution regulates risks before they materialise, demonstrating a willingness to act preventively.