Ghana’s outgoing president John Mahama made his final state of the nation address to parliament on Thursday, outlining his government’s achievements and challenges during his four year tenure.
Mahama who will be stepping down as president on 7th January said the country had recorded reduced cocoa export revenues and higher than expected election related expenditures, part of reasons why Ghana had missed a deficit target for the year, but that it was important that the country remains on track with a three-year International Monetary Fund (IMF)aid deal.
Voters gave President John Mahama just one four-year term before they wielded the axe, rejecting him and choosing Nana Akuffo Ado in an election last month that cemented Ghana’s reputation for democratic accountability in a region scarred by civil wars and coups.
“I will allow history to be the judge of how I have served my nation, how well I have done my part in running my lap of that relay, what that verdict will ultimately be I cannot say, I can only say that I have done my best, giving my all and done so with the best of intentions for my God and my country, our country Ghana. This is why I stand here today Mr. Speaker, holding the baton of leadership, prepared to pass it on with pride, good will and determination to Nana Addo Darkwah Akuffo Addo and to ask all Ghanaians to cheer him on as he runs his portion of this important relay for Ghana,” said Mahama.
Falls in prices for Ghana’s gold, cocoa and oil exports helped sink Mahama. The country is emerging from a fiscal crisis of elevated inflation and debt under the supervision of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
But new oil and gas is set to come on stream in 2017 and 2018 from a $7.9 billion offshore field being developed by Italy’s ENI which the government says will boost revenue and aid long-standing domestic power problems.
“The construction of roads, schools, hospitals is a normal government job, so that one we don’t need to be bothered about it; it’s a normal government job. So schools and hospital and what not will be constructed but the exceptional thing, what will make you the president exceptional — Thinking out of the box and bringing in new things like these social interventions,” said Boniface Gambilah a member of parliament representing the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
