Don’t despair, 2015 will see major turnaround: Prez Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama led Ghanaians into 2015 with the prediction of a major turnaround for the nation.
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"The New Year before us has a wide expanse of possibility." he said.
In a New Year message to the nation delivered on Ghana Television (GTV) Wednesday night, the President entreated the Ghanaian people not to despair but rather believe strongly that, individually and collectively, they could work to change the course of national development.
"We can turn that vision into a reality. I know that we can do it," he said.
President Mahama indicated that no challenge was insurmountable once the people decided to put aside their "seeming differences and all the superficial divisions" and rather resolve to work together.
The challenges of 2014
While acknowledging that 2014 presented some major challenges to the county, he was swift to add that, it was equally worth noting, the courage and determination with which the challenges were confronted.
"I am sure we can all agree that 2014 was a year that presented great challenges, but it was also a year in which those challenges were met with great courage, and even greater compassion.
"This was especially evident in the way we attended to our losses and made manifest our victories," the President said.
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I will listen
Taking notice of the concerns and opinions expressed by Ghanaians on the state of affairs of the nation and how to overcome the difficulties, he promised to take them in his strides.
"As a committed social democrat, I have been encouraged and bolstered by this feedback, from the critical to the complimentary.
"I have listened. I am listening; and I will continue to listen," he added.
Constructive criticisms
He also touched on criticisms saying they must be constructive, focusing on solutions rather than hammering merely on the negatives.
In all that, he was not oblivious of the role free-flow of information play in the transformation process.
He stated that on his election as President, he promised to work in concert with the people to build a prosperous country relying on effective communication as a key weapon.
Beyond listening
Beyond the listening, however, the President gave the assurance that the government would incorporate the positive points into its programmes.
Nonetheless, he said, no one should think that their position on the path the nation should traverse was the best.
"So it is important that as we make our voices heard, we also respect the right of others to have their voices heard as well.
"We must not forget that Ghana is a nation of millions. And while we all share the goal of a peaceful and prosperous Ghana, we will not always agree on how we should meet that goal," he said.
Loss of lives
"The losses this year seemed to be many," the President said, mentioning the number of people who lost their lives both in Ghana and other parts of the world.
He specifically mentioned how the Ebola virus disease took away many lives in some parts of West Africa, but noted the contributions Ghana made in the fight against the disease.
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"It is this type of courage, determination and generous display of humanity that has always defined us as a people, as a nation—not only on an international stage but also right here, on our own soil," the President said.