President Mahama
Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By William Yaw Owusu
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
President John Dramani Mahama has
asked Ghanaians especially the media to allow him to take decisions that affect
the nation.
In what can be described as
likening himself to a football coach, President Mahama said “I am the coach.
You can express your opinion but you have to allow the coach to do his work.”
Answering specific question on whether
there was an impending reshuffle in his cabinet, the President said “As a
coach, you can change a player in the 5th minute, during halftime or
even in the 90th minute. That is a decision for a coach to take,” to
the excitement of his numerous ministers who had gathered to listen his
encounter with journalists at the Flagstaff House, Accra, to
mark the 1st Anniversary on his election.
Mediocre Ministers
The President in recent times has be criticized across
board for appointing ministers some of whom are seen as ‘mediocre’ and part of
the criticisms had come from his own
party, the National Democratic Congress.
The President said he had the mandate to appoint
people he thought would help him deliver on his promise.
He denied that he was having strained relationship
with his party’s executives saying “We may have our own criticisms but we are
working together.”
“Some of our members have criticized me in recent
times but I take the constructive criticisms and work with them.”
Victoria Hammah
On the sacking of Victoria Hamah, a
deputy Minister of Communications whose secret recordings shook the foundations
of the government, compelling the President to relive her of her position, Mr. Mahama
said appeared to tell the people of Ghana that he did not owe anybody
explanation for the decision taken.
He said he had given the youth and
women opportunity to serve in his government adding “I have the privilege to
appoint and fire so I have taken the responsibility for it.
Corruption Fight
In spite of numerous allegations of
corruption going on in the country, President Mahama said “I am not afraid to
crack the whip. If it is necessary to do so I would not hesitate.”
He said he prefers to tighten the administrative
loopholes that allowed public officials to dip their hands into the national
purse saying “I do not have any qualms when it comes to fighting corruption.”
He said corruption amounted to “mass
murder” since it deprived the government of all the resources needed to improve
the living conditions of the people.
He said there was no use turning
corruption into a political battle and added that “I do not believe in that.”
President Mahama said the fact that
culprits of alleged corruption were walking on the streets did not mean the
government was not working and said the Attorney-General
and EOCO were busily pursuing GYEEDA and SADA issues and very soon Ghananains
would “see action.”
Election
Shock
He repeated that he was ‘surprised’ to see the
opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) head to court over the 2012 general
election because “I thought it was the cleanest election we have had.”
“I thought it was a joke. I thought it was the usual
grand standing but I later realized it was becoming aggressive (anibere asem).”
He repeated that the election petition delayed a lot
of investments since every investor was waiting to see what would happen to
Ghana after the declaration of the court’s verdict.
Campaign
Promises
He said that those eager to see the performance of
the government should wait till 2016 when his term of office was coming to an
end.
“I do not know why I should be in a hurry. I have a
4-year mandate. In 2016, go around and see whether I have delivered or not.”
State
of the nation address
He said justified his state-of-the-nation address he
delivered from far-away Dubai where he was on holidays in spite of the fact
that his vice Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur was in the country.
“New Year message is a privilege reserved for the
President. That one is normally not delegated.”
Meeting
Political Figures
He said he did not fulfill his promise to bring all
political figures together for national unity because, “the same people whom I
was going to meet and have a cut of tea had taken me to court.”
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