Professor Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai, Associate Professor of Development Politics at the University of Ghana Business School, has lauded President John Dramani Mahama’s administration for what he describes as a promising and commendable start to governance.
President Mahama is scheduled to deliver a national address today, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, to provide a comprehensive update on the achievements under his 120-day social contract with the people of Ghana.
The governance pact, launched at the start of his administration on January 7, 2025, aimed to establish a performance-based benchmark for accountable and transparent leadership.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, Prof. Abdulai expressed optimism about the administration’s performance so far, particularly commending the President’s commitment to running a lean government.
Prof. Abdulai also praised the calibre of appointments made so far, noting that many Ghanaians are encouraged by the selection of appointees.
According to him, the President prioritised experience and confidence over loyalty.
He explained that the President has brought professionals who bring relevant expertise to their respective portfolios.
He said, “Generally, a general assessment, 120 days, how do you think this administration has fared? I think it’s been very positive. And I get the impression that, I mean, Ghanaians are generally very happy with these few number of days. I mean, for me, I think one of the crucial steps that has been taken by this government that appears to be so widely applauded by the Ghanaian public is this issue of the number of ministers. One of the promises was to sort of, like, establish the leanest government that Ghana has ever had. That single most promise is extremely crucial, because we know, we all know, everyone admits that we have a running value type of government, and the impact of that on the public purse has been very, very significant.”
“Overall, if you look at the kind of appointments that have been made within these days, I mean, many of them people feel extremely excited that the government means business by prioritizing, I mean, experienced people, people who have sort of, like, demonstrated some knowledge within the field that they are leading. So overall, overall, I think this has been a very good start. It has given Ghanaians the impression that this president means business, that this president wants to leave behind a good legacy. I mean, that’s the general impression that I have and the impression that I think majority of Ghanaians have.”
