President John Dramani Mahama has sent a thunderous wake-up call to his ministerial appointees, and the message is clear as day: the honeymoon is over, and results are the new currency.
Speaking at the opening of a four-day Executive Leadership Programme for his ministers on Thursday, April 24, 2025, the President laid down the lawβfirmly but with purpose. This wasnβt a pep talk. It was a mandate wrapped in accountability. "You were not appointed to occupy space," he declared. "You were appointed to solve problems."
A time for reckoning
There's an old Akan proverb: βSe wo were fi na wosankofa a, yenkyi.β ("It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten.") Mahama isnβt just calling for change, heβs calling for a return to the foundational promise of governance: to serve. To act. To deliver.
He reminded his team that their positions are not ornaments for prestige but tools for transformation. The electorate didnβt vote for decorationsβthey voted for results. And results they must get.
βBusiness as usualβ is dead. Long live accountability.
In a refreshing moment of candour, Mahama declared the death of βbusiness as usual.β He didnβt just ask for a new approach; he demanded the burial of the old one. "Indeed, it is dead and we must bury it once and for all," he said. This isnβt just rhetoric. Itβs a line in the sand.
Hereβs the thing, Ghana, like many nations, has heard promises before. The real difference lies in what follows. And Mahama seems to know this. Thatβs why he emphasised mindset over mechanics. βWeβre not here simply to orient ministers. Weβre here to shape a collective mindset.β
The people are waiting and growing restless
βOur young people are tired of waiting interminably,β the President said, echoing a truth many have lived. Farmers, workers, and entrepreneurs are still waiting for prosperity to be more than a slogan. Another proverb comes to mind: βA hungry man is an angry man.β And Ghanaβs youth, in particular, have been patient far too long.
This isnβt just about economic plans and public policiesβitβs about dignity. Itβs about restoring faith in leadership and meeting the long-held expectations of ordinary citizens.
No room for passengers on this train
Mahama didnβt mince words when it came to underperformers. "Please remember, when any of us fall short, I will not hesitate to act." Thatβs not just a warning, itβs a promise. And one hopes it's a promise he keeps. Because, as the saying goes, βA chain is only as strong as its weakest link.β If Ghana is to move forward, it cannot afford weak links in leadership.
A new chapter, if they mean it
With the UNDP at the table and development partners in the room, this leadership programme is more than symbolicβit could be a genuine reboot. But only if the words spoken are followed by action taken.
So here we are. A president who has drawn a clear line. Ministers who now know the stakes. And a nation watching, hoping that this time, the winds of change blow stronger than the dust of empty promises.
As the elders say, βThe one who climbs a good tree is the one who deserves a push.β Letβs hope the ministers are ready to climb and that Mahama is ready to push.
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