President John Dramani Mahama has wasted no time diving into the complexities of governance, signalling his readiness to tackle Ghana’s pressing challenges while upholding promises of reform and accountability.
Speaking at the Presidential Dinner in Accra on Wednesday, January 8, the president reflected on the weight of his responsibilities and the expectations placed upon him.
“I have hit the ground running,” Mahama assured his audience. “Today, I had several meetings with all our key multilateral and bilateral partners to try to see how we can kick-start things to make the lives of our people better, to look at issues to do with the economy and all that.
And so I expect that all of us who would have a role to play would also be the same.”
His emphasis on collaboration underlined the enormity of the tasks ahead, from economic recovery to restoring public trust in governance.
Yet Mahama acknowledged one particularly challenging aspect of his administration: fulfilling his campaign promise to appoint no more than 60 ministers—a stark departure from the bloated cabinets of previous governments.
“You wouldn’t want to be in my shoes when you’ve promised to appoint only 60 ministers, yet thousands of people are sending in their CVs. Then maybe some people will be disappointed,” he said with a wry smile, hinting at the difficult decisions awaiting him.
Mahama’s remarks come at a time when public disillusionment with political leadership remains fresh. His victory was largely seen as a rejection of the previous administration, which he accused of failing to address the struggles of ordinary Ghanaians.
“Ghanaians punished the NPP for arrogance, for incompetence, and just for not listening to what their cries and challenges were,” he said, his tone serious. “There’s no use fighting for political power if we are coming to repeat the same mistakes that the NPP did, and so that’s why I’m a bit concerned.”
Mahama further stressed the importance of laying a solid foundation for the success of his administration, not just for the present term but for the future of his party.
Source: MyNewsGh.com
