BY : DARI KWABENA MATHEW (+233555395925)
Former president John Dramani Mahama has opened up on his government’s failure to make Ghanaians really appreciate the socio-economic development he spearheaded during his tenure.
He laments the inability of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to drum home the infrastructural projects, policies and programs that were intended to better the lives of the ordinary citizen – a development he pinpoints as one of his major lessons ever learnt as President.
“Since I left office in 2016, I have been thinking through my head what could we have done better. On what mistakes we made that we could correct, several things come to my mind and one of the things was that we were not as forceful in letting the people see what we had done for them. We assumed that they will see it. We did quite a lot”, John Mahama decried.
The former President said this during a question and answer session after he delivered an address at Chatham House in London on Friday, January 27, on the theme “Africa’s Strategic Priorities and Global Role”.
John Mahama was asked what his biggest lesson is having served as the leader of Ghana from 2012-2016.
He referred to the unprecedented projects that the party catalogued in the famous ‘Green Book’ but quickly added that not properly clearing the doubt created in the minds of the populace and particularly the-then opposition, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is one that cost his government.
“During the elections, one of the most contentious things that came up was that with the help of my team, we compiled all our achievements into the Green book and published it, and you know what our opponents did? They said some of the things were photoshopped and do not exist.”
“But now, I get people call me and say those things actually exist. So maybe next time when we get the chance, our leadership will work to let the people know what we have done for them, so they appreciate it better.”
The aspiring flagbearer of the NDC admitted that the lessons learnt thereof are guiding him in his future endeavours.
“I learn life’s lessons as they come. You learn those lessons in different areas in terms of human relations, environment and many others. So it will be very difficult to put my finger on a single thing as the most important lesson in my life. I guess that we keep learning in life and those experiences guide me for the future.”
