‘The hardship is real’ for ordinary Ghanaians – Mahama rallies support for government

John Dramani Mahama has lamented the hardship that ordinary Ghanaians are going through amid an economic crunch.

The former president has thus called on all relevant stakeholders to join hands in supporting the government find a way out of the crisis.

He is convinced that if the president had good advice like he used to get, Ghana would not be at the critical point if finds itself in terms of the economy.

During a meeting with some members of the clergy at his Cantonments office, Mahama said it was no use gloating over the challenges the government was facing for the mere political benefit that may accrue.

“All the political parties are in competition for leadership and so you cannot be happy that one party’s administration is going through economic difficulty and you stand and gloat over it.

“I mean we must contribute what we can to ensure that they turn it around…. Better to work together to turn things around. Especially for the ordinary people of this country, the hardship is real and when you go to the grassroots you find that people really have a difficulty,” he stressed.

An economy in distress

The economy is facing major headwinds that have been characterized by galloping inflation, consistent depreciation of the cedi and general high cost of living and of doing business.

The government is hoping to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for an economic support programme aimed at shoring up the economy and easing the burden on ordinary Ghanaians.

President Akufo-Addo and his government have come under heavy scrutiny for failing to address the current economic challenges in the country.

The prices of goods and services have been continuously rising all year round, with inflation currently at over 40 per cent.

The Ghana cedi has been ranked the worst currency in the world among 148 currencies tracked by Bloomberg, overtaking Sri Lanka's rupee, having depreciated by nearly 50 per cent so far in 2022.

SARA