President gets tough with appointees : Christian Council, Asantehene admonish Ghanaians
President John Dramani Mahama has sent the strongest warning to members of his government that those who fail to meet the aspirations of Ghanaians will be booted out of office.
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“Each and every member of this government will uphold the promises that have been made to you, the people whose interests we serve,” he said.
He was quick to add, however, that “those who fall short of that commitment have been, and will continue to be asked to tender their resignations and be relieved of their responsibilities.”
The President’s message was delivered via the state broadcaster, Ghana Television (GTV).
Resignations
The President’s warning to members of his government comes after two cabinet ministers resigned in the last two weeks of the year. The first was the Minister of Transport, Mrs Dzifa Attivor, who resigned in the wake of the GH¢3.6 million bus rebranding scandal.
On New Year’s eve, the Minister of Power, Dr Kwabena Donkor, also tendered his resignation to the President due to the controversy surrounding the announcement of the end of the power crisis.
Listening President
President Mahama reassured Ghanaians that he would continue to listen to them. He said on the eve of 2015, he assured the people that he was listening to their concerns since continuous communication between the people of a nation and their elected representatives was one of the hallmarks of democracy.
“Even the voices that were raised in disagreement or criticism spoke volumes of the truth about your unwavering love for Ghana and our shared desire, despite whatever differing opinions on policies or methodologies, to see our nation progress.
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“I assure you once again today, as your President, that each and every member of this government is listening to your concerns, and is committed to working for the greater good of Ghana, and for the welfare of its people,” he stated.
Ghana is for all
The President also emphasised that Ghana belonged to all Ghanaians and not to any particular group of citizens.
“Ghana is not for one person, or one political party. Ghana is not for some select group of people; Ghana is for all of us, for our children. Ghana is for the future generations. We should always remember that,” he stated.
“The actions and attitudes we take now—all of us, not merely those of us in government—will determine the course of their fate,” he said.
Challenging 2015
He stated that 2015 presented great challenges yet great progress was also recorded.
“2015 was, in many ways, a challenging year. There was growth, and there were numerous accomplishments, but we also experienced a number of setbacks and faced what, at the time, felt like limitations,” the President said.
The mixed developments, he noted, were not unexpected, especially as he had cause to call on the people to exercise patience and bear with the government in the difficult period.
He thanked Ghanaians for their understanding, support and encouragement during the period.
Year of hope
Admonishing his countrymen and women to enter the new year with hope, President Mahama said, “Let us go forward into 2016 with courage not caution, with optimism and a faith in our ability to achieve and succeed.”
He indicated that Ghanaians were closer than ever before to realising the fruits of their patience “so let us not surrender our perseverance and the pride of nationalism to negativity or pessimism,” he said.
The dawn of the New Year, he said, necessitated an expression of gratitude to God for the good fortune and blessings bestowed upon the country and its people in the past year.
“This is also a time for contemplation and analysis. It is a time, as we move forward in our lives, to leave behind the setbacks and limitations of the past because with this new year comes new opportunities and the promises of limitless possibilities.
“Just as each of us is greeting the new year with the intention of constructive change and the expectation of exciting new possibilities in our personal lives, let us also greet it with the same intentions and expectations in the life of our nation,” he said.
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The President said against the backdrop of terrorism and other forms of violence in some parts of the world, the resolve by Ghanaians to unite and work towards national development must be applauded.
In a related development, the Christian Council of Ghana has urged Ghanaians to reject any political party or politician whose actions are dangerous to the peace of the country.
In its new year message, the council advised Ghanaians to vote against politicians who did not campaign on issues and reject any form of inducement or vote buying.
“We must not vote for politicians because they are popular, but because they have engaged in an issue-based campaign and they have the capacity to lead and perform.
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“As a council, we will continue to pray, champion the Church’s missionary front, complement government’s efforts and advocate good governance, socio-economic justice and a prosperous Ghana,” it said
It also said the council would engage in voter education, election observation across the nation and advocate peaceful and transparent elections.
NMC
For its part, the National Media Commission (NMC) urged the media to uphold professional standards in their operations because they will play a vital role in ensuring that the country had peaceful, free and fair elections in 2016.
In its new year message, the NMC stated that although it was proud of the crucial role the media played in national development, it had concerns about some of the shortcomings in the industry which impede the media’s contributions to nation building.
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The message further called on Ghanaians to respect and protect the freedom and independence of the media because such freedoms “constitute the bedrock of many other freedoms that we enjoy within our democratic dispensation.”
Asantehene
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called on Ghanaians to be committed to the promotion of peace as the country goes to the polls in 2016.
In a new year message, the Asantehene emphasised the need for peace to reign in the country in 2016 so that “Ghana will continue to remain an oasis of peace and stability in our region.”
The message also urged leaders in all spheres of life to be guided by noble deeds and embrace the precept that “service is the essence of leadership.”
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