Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama was endorsed yesterday by his party National Democratic Congress (NDC) to contest for a second term in office in the elections next year. He won over 95 percent of the votes in the party’s primary elections held yesterday, indicating that he is favoured by his party members. However, there have been mixed reactions by Ghanaians on social media; while some support him because he seems to be the better option as against the opposition others trolled the president, apparently in protest against the party’s decision, citing reasons why he should not be president.
Mr Mahama indirectly agreed with them. Yesterday, he listed the battles he has been fighting since becoming president mentioning “an election petition that created uncertainty and dragged on for eight long months, market fires that affected almost [all] regions of the country, nationwide strike actions, serious challenges with the economy, and the most serious of all, a power shortage, which is still with us.”
Nationwide strike actions
John Mahama’s tenure has been characterized by many strike actions. Lawyers, Doctors, Teachers and a coalition of Labour Unions have all refused to work at one time or the other under his administration. It definitely points to underlying resentment at his administration. Mahama then seemed to compound their anger when he declared in August this year, after doctors and nurses went on strike, that their strike action was “illegal” and “does not make sense”.
Economic challenges
The inflation rate in Ghana has risen to 15.8% in 2015 from 7.1% in 2012, indicating John Mahama has managed to let go of his grip on Ghana’s economy. The Ghanaian Cedi has been depreciating, driving the prices of goods higher and higher. Despite the onset of oil production in 2010 and revenues from the sale of cocoa and gold, Ghana still had to borrow $918 million from IMF this year to help boost “growth, jobs and stability.” Some Ghanaians have blamed the dire economic crisis on corruption in Mahama’s government.
Mr. “Dumsor”
Mahama has been nicknamed Mr. Dumsor, meaning “on and off.” That title characterizes Ghana’s erratic power supply for three years now. The Electricity Company of Ghana limited, ECG, in charge of Ghana’s power supply is about to be privatized like its Nigerian counterpart, in hopes that this problem would end soon. The ECG has so many parody accounts on twitter. What used to be a source of pride for Ghana among other African countries, has now become a point of ridicule for them. Some businesses have been crippled while foreign investment has reduced as a result of their fluctuating power supply.
ECG, Generator, Solar Panel.. What shall it profit a man to have all the light and die in darkness? Receive Jesus, the only true Light.
— ECG (@ECG_Unofficial) May 31, 2015
Happy Independence Day Nigeria and all Nigerians living in Ghana. At 6pm, we will make you feel at home.
— ECG (@ECG_Unofficial) October 1, 2015
under Mahama Government Ghana is a Fucking Place to Call your Country so why second term he think e bi movie anaa
— Adams Nabil (@NabilAdams) November 19, 2015
Looking at the mess in the NPP,it's better we pray that Mahama's second term would transform Ghana's economy to a better one.
— GREE AIRCONDITIONER (@Kofi_Forson) November 18, 2015
The people of Ghana are behind you to finish your second term with the same 95% votes from the citizens…Victory!!! https://t.co/4b2ctPOqFL
— Eric Geraldo K. Baku (@ericgeraldokbak) November 23, 2015
Education they used to say was the Key until Mahama changed the Padlocks. Man needs to find another Key. #success
— Ned Kelly (@JayWatil) November 24, 2015
https://t.co/iRmvgu1XC6. Mahama Is Bad Leader. A letter To U #TMB
— X POWA GH (@XPOWA) November 24, 2015