4 Years of Hard work Better than 8 Years of Dishonesty

By: Wendy Ashalley

The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President John Dramani Mahama, has countered assertions that four years is not enough to make any significant change if he is re-elected to preside over the affairs of the country.
Speaking at the party’s campaign launch in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale on Saturday, July 27, Mahama said that “four years of good leadership is better than dishonest leadership” that the incumbent Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) has become notorious for.
Some critics of Mahama’s quest to return to power after he was voted out in 2016, including his biggest contender, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, have claimed that he has only four years to govern if he wins the upcoming election. They argue that four years is insufficient to make any mark or even redeem the country from the deep economic crisis that the NPP government has plunged the country’s economy into. However, dispelling the claim, Mahama maintained that four years is more than enough to govern and make significant change, adding that what matters most is for a leader to be honest with the country and the citizenry and be committed to good governance practices and prudent management of the country’s resources.

“It is about how well you serve. It is not about eight years or four years. It is about hard work. It is about truth. It is about trust, and it is about doing the things that will create a future for our young people,” Mahama said. “That’s why the NDC is calling on you to do your duty to your God and country so that we can turn this nation around.”
Mahama didn’t spare the current NPP government as he accused them of living in a state of illusion and refusing to acknowledge the reality that they have worsened the livelihoods and standards of living of Ghanaians.
“They are living in a fantasy world because if you are not living in an illusion, how can you tell them they are satisfied? The people can feel the pangs of hunger. The government tells us we are satisfied,” he asserted.

Mahama also announced that the NDC will be launching its manifesto in the Central Region before the end of August to outline its policies to the nation.