The government’s major tasks ahead in resetting the country are amending the constitution, holding past and present government officials accountable and stabilising the economy, President John Dramani Mahama has stated.
During a meeting with the Ghanaian community in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, last Sunday evening, President Mahama painted a candid picture of Ghana's economic struggles, revealing that the country had been grappling with a severe economic crisis marked by unstable macroeconomic indicators.
"We have been going through a severe economic crisis with very unstable macroeconomic indicators," he said.
The economic woes have been further complicated by Ghana's debt crisis. President Mahama said that under the previous administration, the country was forced to admit to the international community that it was unable to pay its debt.
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"For the first time in recent memory, we had to tell the rest of the world that we can't pay our debt," he said.
Solution
To mitigate the risk, President Mahama said the government would re-establish the Sinking Fund to be used for retiring long-term loans to prevent future defaults.
However, the President added that the government's fiscal space remained severely constrained amid high expectations from citizens and limited resources to meet them.
He said a significant challenge facing the administration was the legacy of unfinished projects initiated by the previous government, including over 80 hospitals that required more than $1 billion to complete.
Touching on accountability, President Mahama said while the government would go after corrupt officials in the previous government, appointees in his government would also be held accountable according to their stewardship.
“Those of us in leadership must lead by example, be prepared to be held accountable for taking the public trust,” President Mahama said.
The President said while people were excited about receiving appointments, they all must be reminded that “The green letter comes with a lot of responsibilities.”
He emphasised the need to amend Ghana's 1992 Constitution to address current challenges, acknowledging its remarkable service to the nation while stressing its evolution as a living document.
International roles
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, highlighted Ghana's impressive performance in the recent African Union (AU) elections, where the country secured three positions.
Mr Ablakwa attributed the success to the trust and confidence that Africans had in Ghanaians, saying, "Everyone on the continent believes that Ghanaians can be trusted; they will deliver."
He also stressed the need for Ghana to increase its representation in international organisations.
Mr Ablakwa said Ghana had only filled 43 per cent of its allocation at the AU and called for more resources to be committed to support Ghanaians in leadership positions.
To address that, the Foreign Affairs Minister announced that President Mahama would provide budgetary support to hire professionals to assist Ghanaians in leadership positions at the AU.
He said the government would also make resources available to Ghanaians seeking leadership positions in international organisations to campaign and draw the necessary support for successful bidding.
Solidarity
The President of the Ghana Community in Ethiopia, Joseph Ofosu-Appiah Duah, who spoke on behalf of the community, congratulated President Mahama on his re-election.
He expressed the community’s confidence in his leadership, vision and dedication to national development, expressing the belief that Ghana would continue to be a beacon of democracy, stability and progress on the African continent under his stewardship.
The community acknowledged President Mahama's commitment to fighting corruption and promoting transparency in governance, as well as his efforts to strengthen institutions and uphold the rule of law.
They encouraged him to deepen the reforms to ensure accountability and good governance for generations to come.
They also appreciated President Mahama's dedication to empowering the youth of Ghana.
However, they appealed to the President to champion the placement and advancement of Ghanaians in international organisations, particularly the African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations (UN).
