President John Dramani Mahama has set a bold tone for his current administration, declaring his intent to make this presidential term a lasting legacy of impactful leadership.
Addressing ministers and top government officials at the Executive Leadership Retreat in Ada on Thursday, Mahama made it clear that performance—not politics—will define his government’s approach.
“This is my legacy term. I intend to make it count,” he stated firmly, laying down a challenge to his team to rise above mediocrity and deliver meaningful change for the Ghanaian people.
In a passionate call to action, Mahama urged ministers to lead with purpose and honesty: “I issue this challenge to each of you to lead your sectors with vision and integrity, champion innovation, make decisions based on facts and data, and not on guesswork,” he said.
He reminded officials that public service must come with humility and accountability.
“Spend public funds wisely and judiciously, reject opulence, and never forget your first duty is to the people of Ghana—not to your own political survival, not to the applause you will get, and not to your official gain. You were not appointed to occupy space, you were appointed to solve problems. The Ghanaian people expect us to deliver, and we must not with excuses, but results.”
Mahama also highlighted the need for greater Ghanaian control over the country’s natural wealth. “We must have an indigenisation programme for taking control of some of our natural resources. In the next few months, we will develop a policy on indigenous participation in natural resource exploitation to ensure Ghanaian participation,” he revealed.
Touching on a broader challenge facing governance in West Africa, the President echoed concerns recently raised by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, pointing to the limitations of Ghana’s four-year presidential term.
“In Nigeria and Ghana, our tenure for president is so short. In Africa, it is only Nigeria and Ghana that have a four-year tenure of presidency. Most countries have five years. What can somebody do in four years,” he said, underscoring the urgency to make every moment of leadership count.
