John Mahama Sworn in as Legitimacy is Contested

By Kwabena Opong

Ghana reached another milestone in its democratic qualifications with the swearing in of John Dramani Mahama as the fourth president of the 4^th Republic on Monday, January 7. Mr. Mahama’s investiture comes at a time when his party (the NDC), the Electoral Commission and he are getting ready to face the opposition NPP’s Supreme Court contestation of the election results that declared Mahama the winner in December 2012.

The inauguration, boycotted by the opposition NPP flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and the entire membership of the party, was, however, attended by former President John Agyekum Kufuor amidst protestations from a section of NPP youths who tried to prevent him from leaving his residence. Mr. Kufuor insisted on attending the ceremony not as a representative of the NPP but as a former head of state and as a national figure. Also in attendance were 13 African heads of state including South Africa’s Jacob Zama, Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan and Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Other delegations from across the world, including the United States of America, were also present.

John Mahama accepted the presidency saying among other things: “The promises that I have made are promises that I intend to keep. But  . . . , change does not happen overnight. I will be counting on you to maintain the faith and the trust that you have placed in me as president and I promise I will not let you down.”

Reading from a tablet, President Mahama recognized his predecessors, Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor and John Atta Mills, and appreciated their contributions to the development of the country and their achievements as presidents of the Republic.

In a veiled reference to the opposition NPP’s Supreme Court challenge of his electoral victory, President Mahama took a swipe at his opponents questioning the propriety of any Ghanaian to arrogate to themselves to determine what is right and what is wrong. He also acknowledged that his country is polarized and has challenges ahead, adding that, “There’s no denying the fact that even after 55 years Ghana is still a young country.”  “Every young country goes through its share of instabilities and difficulties,” he added. Mr. Mahama promised Ghanaians during his investiture to trust him to deliver.

President John Dramani Mahama takes office at a time when his country is experiencing a buoyant economy with a single-digit inflation but lacking in jobs. The country is now drilling more than 100,000 barrels of oil per diem while gold production is peaking. Ghana’s major environment is under the scourge of illegal and legal gold mining while several unemployed college graduates roam the streets.

The man who was cast as a caretaker president with the death of President J. A. Mills in July 2012 confesses that as a vice president, he is one of the most fortunate. He was the de facto president further to the ill-health of his boss.  As the substantive president he faces a steep national deficit in housing, something he knows all too well. His critics complain about his handling of a failed South Korean loan of $1.5 billion to build fifty thousand houses for the country’s security services. Other attempts to address the housing situation failed. In the meantime, however, about 1500 units of affordable houses developed by the Kufuor administration have been left to rot. Portions of the main highway that links the country’s northern sector remain undone.

In his state of the nation address on January 4, the president stated that his government has so far replaced 40 percent of schools under trees. An issue that raised the political temperature during the campaign period, education remains a contentious matter. NPP’s Nana Akufo Addo promised free high school. NDC’s Mahama could not articulate his party’s education policy but engineered a bitter propagandist campaign to ridicule the NPP’s promise. While the NDC administration promises to build a university in each region of the country, several problems exist at the primary and the secondary levels and more schools remain under trees. Teacher training is inadequate for the growing population of students and schools. The opposition constantly nags the government for tripling the cost of putting up six classroom school houses – from about GHc 80,000 to around GHc 240,000. The school feeding program started by the Kufuor administration is in danger of extinction as the government of The Netherlands that provided the initial funds for the program has withdrawn from for poor management.

A United Nations report in 2012 indicates that the national health insurance scheme instituted by the Kufuor administration is becoming increasingly moribund. Even government health facilities reject patients with insurance largely because the current administration has failed to administer the program well enough. In a related development, the British Overseas Development Assistance’s financing of pre-natal care started during the NPP regime has also been withdrawn. Generally, most pro-poor initiatives that were in place during the NPP administration are either terminated or are being terminated.

Ghana’s new president presided over a nation where corruption became a virtue: a person described in the media as a financier of the NDC, Alfred Agbesi Woyome and several others and companies were allegedly paid monies supposed to be judgment debts. In particular Woyome mitted not having any contract with the government but was paid 51 million Ghana cedis, anyway. President Mahama himself is mentioned in some scandals that include his alleged intervention in a case of a British cocoa buying company in Ghana that was found culpable in smuggling cocoa to Ivory Coast.  His alleged role in the STX housing deal and the purchase of five aircraft for Ghana’s Air Force raise eyebrows.

Food prices in Ghana have not been affected by the much touted single-digit inflation and Ghanaians keep complaining about the economic state of affairs. Load shedding has assumed levels of normality while the oil-rich country’s only refinery has ceased production. The price of petroleum products continues to soar despite the government’s promise to keep it down. And a supplemental levy on petroleum prices ordered by the National Petroleum Authority cannot be accounted for in spite of a court order to remove it and declare the proceeds. Notwithstanding the many scandals and issues so many to recount, Ghanaians voted to elect John Mahama. The NPP, doubtful of the election results has gone to court to contest the so-called people’s verdict.

Opinions on NPP’s action differ: NDC sympathizers and even some among the NPP are skeptical of the suit making it at the high court. But the NPP is hopeful that its flag bearer would be called upon to assume the presidency of the nation. Most NPP sympathizers insist that their party has enough evidence to win the case and to wrestle the presidency from John Mahama. They have so far remained calm but hopeful. Initial acts of violence that some NPP youths visited on some perceived NDC members and some media personnel in Accra has so far subsided. The party’s vice chairman, Fred Oware told the media ahead of the swearing-in ceremony that the party had the right to boycott the ceremony and challenge the election results. “You get the impression that going to court is some act that should not be entertained. But how else does the constitution prescribe this except to go to court?” Oware asked.

“We believe in the rule of law and therefore we will submit ourselves to the provisions and dictates of the constitution and do what we are doing”. The opposition member said.

A number of Ghanaians believe that the pall of calmness that has descended on their country after the elections could be an uneasy calm. When it happened in Kenya, more than a thousand souls were lost. In neighboring Ivory Coast, it was a civil war. Is Ghana any different? They ask.

Posted by admin on Jan 15 2013. Filed under top stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry