President John Dramani Mahama
Outgoing President John Dramani Mahama has lauded the president-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, saying, “I have utmost respect for him.”
He said the two of them incidentally served three terms in parliament from 1997 to January 2009. While Mr. Mahama entered parliament as the MP for Bole Bamboi, Northern Region, in January 1997, Nana Akufo-Addo entered as MP for Abuakwa in the Eastern Region.
During that period, Mr Mahama averred, although they were on opposing sides of the house, they worked together and got to know each other better – and even after their stint in parliament.
President Mahama made the assertion in his last State of the Nation Address in parliament yesterday.
The address, which was brief, attracted persons like the two former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor, among other dignitaries.
Nana, Mahama Work Together
President Mahama said although he and Nana Addo had jabbed each other during the electioneering campaign, they are not enemies but only worthy opponents.
He explained, “Given our history, especially that we have each had our turn on each side of a presidential election, it would seem only natural for us to be considered opponents – ‘worthy opponents’ – is the description generally used in the world of sports.”
More so, “We are all on the same team. We worked together when I served as ranking member on the Committee of Foreign Affairs at a time Nana Addo was the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.”
He added that “Taking breaks from the business of the house to grab something to eat at the snack bar, Nana Addo always stood at the end of the counter, his signature white handkerchief tucked into his sleeve. ‘Johnny’ he would shout in greeting as he preferred to call me.”
He recalled that “One of the issues on which we crossed swords was the murder of some Ghanaian youth in the Gambia” which made it “instructive that as I leave office and he takes my place, Gambia once again is a nation that is engaging international attention.”
Based on this history, Mahama stressed, “This is how long I have known the president-elect and worked with him. I have the utmost respect for him.”
No Divisive Politics
The president advised Ghanaians against divisive political tendencies, noting that it is dangerous to the incoming political party as it was to the outgoing one. Hence, no one should “wish or hope for the failure of any president and his or her government. Ensuring accountability is not the same as leveling insults or encouraging apathy.”
He then asked Ghanaians to give the president-elect the support they offered him, adding that he was also pleased that Nana Addo had promised to continue with his (Mahama’s) infrastructural developments and other programmes and policies.
The outgoing president, who looked tensed-up as he delivered his last address, tried to justify the worsening economic woes of the country by saying that changing climate made the weather more unpredictable which severely affected aspects of the economy.
“In our part of the world, deforestation, erratic rainfall, sea erosion, tidal waves and severe harmattan are becoming normal, which are wreaking havoc on non-irrigated agriculture and power production from hydro sources,” he said.
According to the outgoing president, he did his best for the nation in the face of all the adversities and would therefore allow history to be his judge.
“I will allow history to be the judge of how I have served our nation, how well I have done my part in running my lap of the relay. What that verdict will ultimately be, I cannot say. I can only say that I have done my best, given my all and done so with the best intentions for my country,” he said.
He explained that he inherited an economy that was running a high deficit, with increasing inflation and interest rate that was also characterized by a rapidly depreciating currency; but the minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) in parliament booed at him, indicating that the president might not be telling the truth for saying that he inherited an economy with a high deficit..
Emotion
In the emotion-filled address, John Mahama tried hard to blame his excruciating defeat at the polls on a supposed world economic crisis and the slowdown in the Chinese economy that affected the growth of emerging markets.
He also said the recent increase in US interest rates meant that more money was leaving emerging markets and being invested in America, coupled with the fall in commodity prices on international markets resulting in adverse economic outlook for lower middle income economies like Ghana.
From Fred Duodu & Thomas Fosu Jnr