Congrats, Prez John Dramani Mahama!

Nobody can deny the fact that Ghana is going through trying times albeit in a stable and peaceful environment.

The youth unemployment level is staggering and that requires urgent attention to end the frustrations among the youth whose exuberance requires that something is found for them to do before “the devil finds work for the idle hands.”

High inflation, high interest rates and the unstable nature of our currency have rendered the conduct of business very expensive.

And to cap it all, the country has been struggling to find solutions to the nagging power crisis that has bedevilled the country for almost four years now.

Although these challenges linger, Ghanaians exhibit the proverbial Ghanaian warmth and hospitality, which speaks volumes about the strong character of our people.

The government is doing a lot of things to put the economy on an even keel, though the structural deficiencies in the economy make it a herculean task that cannot be resolved overnight.

Be that as it may, Ghana is still regarded as a strong economy in the world with a vibrant democracy that offers the opportunity to the people to select their representatives every four years.

There is space for rule of law, respect for human dignity and personal liberties as well as a virile media landscape.

It is in this context that the Daily Graphic thinks the commendation showered on President John Dramani Mahama by the French President, Mr Francois Hollande, is spot on.

Looking at our political landscape, we know that it is not every Ghanaian who will agree with the nice things President Hollande said about Mr Mahama.

But the fact is, our President cannot be denied a place in the sands of history because of  the very able manner in which he handled the Ebola crisis in the West African sub-region during his tenure as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

When the entire world turned its back on Africa and West Africa, for that matter, and some threatened to ban flights from West Africa, President Mahama boldly agreed to make Accra the Ebola Logistics Hub for efforts by the United Nations and other international agencies to send relief items to the countries worst hit by the Ebola viral disease.

We think that every Ghanaian should be proud of this exemplary leadership by President Mahama and urge him to do more, not only for the sub-region but also for Ghana, to ensure that our people do not look into the future with gloom and doom.

President Mahama has also been at the forefront to resolve the democratic governance challenges in Burkina Faso, following the removal of Blaise Campaoré last year and the recent military putsch by the elite presidential guards to halt plans for a return to democratic rule.

In spite of the challenges, the Daily Graphic believes that our President has made all of us proud on the international stage and we must salute him for those achievements to indicate to all that we are not like the people of biblical times who said “a prophet is not appreciated in his own land.”

Mr President, we appreciate you and appeal to you to also look internally and restore hope to the people through your transformation agenda.