Latest News

Ghana's Mahama returns as president, dealing with old issues

John Dramani Mahama will be sworn in for his second term as Ghana's president on Tuesday with a fresh required to take on familiar difficulties, including corruption, high unemployment, inflation and public discontent.

The opposition leader, 66, won the Dec. 7 presidential election by a large margin to stage a political return in the West African nation, the world's number-two cocoa producer.

He changes Nana Akufo-Addo, who steps down after serving two terms, continuing Ghana's democratic tradition in an area grasped somewhere else by military coups and jihadist revolts.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis, an continuous bailout from the International Monetary Fund and a. sovereign debt default, Ghana's economy is again growing.

But Mahama will be under pressure to provide rapidly on. campaign guarantees to curb high youth joblessness and root out. established corruption - problems that have sustained suspect in. Ghana's political system.

The typical Ghanaian is growing restless with our. democracy, Godfred Bokpin, a finance professor at the. University of Ghana, informed Reuters.

People have done their part by voting but they're asking:. what have they obtained from this democracy?

BANDAGING OPEN WOUNDS

Analysts and advocates of Mahama's National Democratic. Congress (NDC) celebration see his political experience and a. two-thirds majority in parliament as a strong mandate to take. hard decisions and execute reputable policies to improve. incomes and restore financier self-confidence.

But a looming power crisis will present an early and familiar. difficulty.

Mahama ended up being president in 2012 when John Evans Atta-Mills. died in workplace. He won a presidential election a few months. later on and his first and only term was afflicted by power. lacks, macroeconomic instability and claims of. political corruption.

He said last month the energy sector remained in crisis with. initial quotes showing arrears to provider in. excess of $2.5 billion. The intensifying outlook threatens to. cut output and hamper the nascent economic healing.

The outbound federal government kept the system running by. bandaging open sores, said Bright Simons of Accra-based IMANI. think tank. They left the festering injuries for him.

Simons stated Mahama needs to quickly protect a financing deal with. private power producers, who provide about 40% of Ghana's power. while checking out enduring services.

GHANAIANS ARE HUNGRY

In addition to pledges to invest massively in farming. and infrastructure, Mahama has vowed to prioritise fighting. corruption.

Bokpin and Simons stated suppressing graft would help restore. public trust, however inflation and exchange rate obstacles. required instant attention likewise.

Inflation increased for the 3rd month in a row in November. to 23.0%, enhanced by surges in food prices.

We can discuss the skyscrapers and complex things but. the reality is that the typical Ghanaian is hungry. You must. prioritise food production, Bokpin said.

(source: Reuters)