Former President John Mahama, has taken a retrospective look at his presidency, acknowledging the challenges posed by his commitment to transparency.
While expressing the importance of elected officials being forthright to foster trust, the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), voiced concerns about the current government’s lack of transparency, particularly regarding recent power challenges, suggesting a deliberate effort to withhold information from the public.
Mahama, known for his honesty, reflected on his presidency, stating, “I was brought up to tell the truth at all times, so when I was President, if things were not going well, I told the people of Ghana and what we were trying to do about it. I think my honesty was one of the major problems I had because I didn’t think that I should fool my people”.
The former president reiterated his commitment to openness, emphasizing differences in intentions with the current administration.
He criticized the present government for not fully disclosing crucial information, citing recent power sector developments as evidence.
“We know that they are shedding the load, they have a problem with generation. Some generation assets are down, they have a problem with paying for gas. Every day they are shedding between 280 and 480 megawatts of power but they will not give us a timetable because that is what Ghanaians know as dumsor”.
“We must not only hold to account the government that has gone out. We must also hold to account our own people who go wrong while we are in government”.
He urged accountability not only for the outgoing government but also for those within the current administration who make mistakes. These remarks were made during Mahama’s ongoing Building Ghana Tour in the Upper West Region.