President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that upon assuming office, he was confronted with a deeply troubled nation, characterised by a fragile economy and a governance system on the brink of collapse.
According to the President, the state of the country at the time of his swearing-in on January 7, 2025, demanded urgent and comprehensive intervention to prevent further deterioration.
President Mahama made these remarks during his official three-day state visit to Zambia, where he met with members of the Ghanaian community living in the country.Ghanaian cultural products
Addressing the gathering, the president reflected on the circumstances under which his administration took over the reins of government and outlined the scale of the challenges his government inherited.
He explained that Ghana was grappling with severe economic difficulties, alongside widespread problems across key sectors such as health, education, and agriculture.
The President noted that the situation was further compounded by the country’s debt distress, which had significantly eroded investor confidence and limited Ghana’s access to international financial support.
“We inherited a country that was sick. The economy was in crisis, and governance was in tatters. We had so many issues in health, education, and agriculture, and most of all, we had defaulted on our debt. Our debt to GDP had risen above 100% and nobody wanted to lend to Ghana again.
‘So we fought the election and we said our objective was to win power and reset Ghana in all sectors and I likened it to resetting a computer to work properly again.”
The President stated that these harsh realities shaped the message and mission of his campaign during the 2024 general elections.
He said his team was upfront with Ghanaians about the need for a fundamental overhaul of the system, stressing that superficial fixes would not be enough to restore stability and growth.
According to him, the goal of his return to power was not merely to win an election but to fundamentally reset and revive the nation’s institutions and economy.
