(Part 1)
By: Isaac Dzidzoamenu
Ghana has had a number of Presidents since she gained independence from the Colonial Masters in 1957 through the instrumentality of the first President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
With these leaders, some who were validly elected were axed out of office illegally in the full view of the international community and Ghanaians while others came to govern this land through the barrel of the gun and exited office through the same coin on which they assumed office.
These leaders of our dear nation had one challenge after the other during their reign as Head of State with each exhibiting his leadership styles and approach to meet the times.
President Mahama who was declared elected President by the Constitutional mandated body, the Electoral Commission (EC) headed by Dr. Kwadwo Afari Djan had to be affirmed again by the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court (SC) through heated eight months court proceedings that finally declared him as validly elected President of Ghana.
One can imagine the depth of achievement a government can chalk in eight (8) months without any hindrance whatsoever. Thanks to our purpose driven President who was able to chalk several successes in almost all the sectors of our economy within these eight (8) months of a legal battle.
Despite the challenges that bedeviled the administration of our first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, he achieved great things for our dear nation. Perhaps, Ghanaians voted for a great leader in the 2012 Presidential Elections with development oriented character like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who had his own challenges as a leader of this nation. Yet during his administration major achievements were chalked. Notably among them can be seen in the areas of energy, infrastructure and the educational sectors.
After the over thrown of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana has had numerous coup d’etats till the fourth republic that started with Flt Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, with Mr. John Agyekum Kufour taking over through an election in the year 2000. The late John Evans Atta Mills was handed power through elections in 2008 and now John Dramani Mahama in the helm of affairs through an election that was lauded as free and fair by both local and international observers.
Yet an uncharacteristic event since the inception of the fourth republic which has had a number of elections for Presidents to assume office happened in a good eight months.
President John Mahama has not been exempted from challenges from oppositions in the discharge of his constitutionally mandated term. He had to face a legal action challenging the legitimacy as the President of Ghana even before his inauguration that lasted for a period of eight (8) months.
Surprisingly, the well acclaimed elections held in this country since the commencement of the fourth republic with the use of a new electoral system called the Bio-Metric voting process was sent to the Supreme Court of the land. This was led by the Presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Duaquah Akufo Addo with allegations of malpractices and irregularities among others characterized the election. A move touted by some individuals as their right under the constitution. President Mahama being a democrat availed himself to the court for a full legal battle to kick start while pursuing the agenda of improving the living condition of the people that gave him the mandate.
A President in a worried or nervous state of mind would have lost focus in such a situation from day one as he had major appointments to be made in getting a cabinet in place to prosecute the agenda and promises made to the good people of this country during his four- month campaign across the entire country that gave him victory in the election.
Purpose driven President as President Mahama was, he was focused and within few weeks or months had a formidable cabinet in place and quickly reshuffled his regional ministers to kick start a national agenda of improving the socio-economic development of our dear nation. One can only imagine how President Mahama was able to do major consultations in getting sector ministers in place, ministers who can deliver with regards to promises made to the people as well as achieving a national agenda, but this he did under enormous challenges. He got competent men and women for parliament to vet and subsequently swore them into office after the nominees were given the nod by parliament.
Deputy Ministers were also fished out within the country with great competence, this he got successfully and presented them to parliament for vetting. With all these paramount duties to be performed by President Mahama, there was heated court battle challenging his legitimacy as President of the same Nation he was having sleepless night for.
The President was not seen upon his assumption to the high office of land witch-hunting his political opponents of any sort. Even though there were individuals in the land accusing him as a non performing President, he was focused tackling issues of national concern. Most accusations mounted on the President were in the energy sector, doctors strike in the health sector among others in his infant administration that was putting things together for smooth delivery in those areas.
To bring an end to all these challenges President Mahama was seen working and making major trips geared towards ending the challenges and wooing investors from developed countries to invest in Ghana.
The Energy sector been one area that the country was facing a lot of challenges before he even took over office to begin his first term as President, he had to engage his Nigerian counterpart President Goodluck to use his good office for a speedy work on the West Africa Gas Pipe Line to be fixed for gas to flow in so as to power the Asogli Power Plant which was down as a result of non-availability of gas.
Today there is a consistent flow of gas from the West Africa Gas Pipe to Ghana. Through the hard work of an infant administration led by President Mahama on the Aboadze T.3 Power Plant at Takoradi, work on the project was fast tracked as a phase of a 98% completed project was commissioned to add power to the national grade. Work was intensified on the Bui Dam Hydro-Power Generation to have power for the Ghanaian people for both domestic and commercial purposes.
This was achieved and the President had to move in for the first phase of the project to be commissioned to give additional power for domestic and commercial consumption. The energy situation has improved drastically as there is constant supply of power to factories and companies in the country. With all the challenges been confronted with at the energy sector the President kept faith and assured the citizens of an uninterrupted power supply which is now being enjoyed by all.
On the health sector President Mahama was met with strike from doctors, on the issue of their salary among others which took several weeks. For an immediate measure to safe Ghanaians of the striking doctors, government requested from the Cuban government doctors to be flown in to save dying patients in our hospitals and clinics across the country.
The President made a number of calls coupled with meetings to our able doctors to end the strike as negotiations continued to meet their demands. This too was achieved and our doctors have to finally return to their consulting rooms.
President Mahama was focused in tackling these entire situations for the good people of this country as they surfaced. The only President who did not even enjoy the traditional honeymoon his predecessors had, one can just imagine the sort of pressures that were mounted on him but he was purposed driven in the agenda of transforming the lives of Ghanaians.
In the area of infrastructure development, President Mahama did sod cutting ceremonies for the commencement of a number of projects notably among them is the construction of a fishery harbor at Winneba for our able fisher folks who have been yearning for such a facility for over decades now. Just few hours for this all important project to kick start, a section of the beneficiaries of the project were crying foul on issues that should not hamper development in this country, a nation that is lacking behind in many areas of its developmental pursuit. This again our able President who has an eagle eye went ahead to break the grounds for the commencement of the project. Besides this project he has inspected several road projects in the capital in a bid for a quick completion so as to ease the traffic congestions. Work has also started on the Three Tia Kwame Nkrumah Interchange to end the traffic congestion in the area together with other projects initiated geared at improving the situation of the capital and the nation at large.
Security situations in the country have improved tremendously not because of the just ended Election Petition that was before the Supreme Court rather this was a President who is committed to peace, safety and stability of our dear nation. Some Ghanaians were surprised about the level of security preparedness our security agencies displayed towards the declaration of the verdict on 29 August, 2013.
He has fulfilled a promise of visiting the people at Alavanyo and Nkonya for peace to reign in these areas aside the peace resolution signed by the two communities. President Mahama has also received a number of briefings from the Security Chiefs in the country with regards to disturbances in other regions such as Kumasi among others.
In the area of education, pragmatic measures have been employed by the sector minister to see to the realization of a more improved educational system in the country notable among them are the 200 new Senior High Schools (SHS) to be built across the country, turning the Polytechnics into Technical Universities and establishing a University in the Eastern Region. The only region left to have a public University.
The creation of 250,000 spaces in the public SHS did not come on a silver platter rather on the premise of hard work even as the legitimacy of the government was been challenged at the apex court of the land.
50 out of the new 200 SHS to be built in selected districts across the country are to start this year as disclosed by the technical team on the project, while the construction of a new University in the Eastern Region is also to take off soon. The Ministry of Education has also put in place a technical team which is working vigorously to have a campaign promise of turning the public Polytechnics into a Technical Universities to see the light of day.
Government show of committed to teachers in the country was on display as teachers received their back pay in full earlier than they expected. Aside efforts by the ministry of education to engage heads of tertiary institutions to increase the intake of fresher’s for the 2013-2014 academic year, President Mahama also held meetings with Vice Chancellors of Universities in a move to expanding their infrastructures to accommodate the current two batches of SHS students who were seeking enrollment into the tertiary institutions.
President Mahama in all his approach as President of this nation shows commitment to deliver on his mandated duties to the people of this country irrespective of the fact that his legitimacy was been challenged at the highest court of the land.
Though he described his 100 days in office as a period of a challenging moment, work was been done to tackle the energy crises by then, shortage of water as a result of broken down equipment at operation sites, doctors going on strike, teachers also leaving the classroom at the time when Junior High School (JHS) students were preparing to take their final exams among other pressing issues of national concern.
With all these national challenges, our President was on top of issues as he toured major sites of the water companies notably among them were the Weija Water Company, Kpong Water, the same day he had to fly to Bui Hydro-Dam to ascertain the level of work so as to have a power for the good people of this nation.
Clearly President Mahama was development centered, committed to the cause of bringing to an end the various challenges at the time his legitimacy as President was been challenged. To be continued.
*Contact: 0242530542 dzidzous@gmail.com*
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