Ghana’s John Mahama returns as president

John Mahama has been sworn in on Tuesday, January 7 as Ghana’s president for the third time, as the country faces its worst economic crisis in a generation.

Mahama, who started his political career as the communications minister, won the presidential election late last year after pledging to tackle the economic crisis, corruption and unemployment.

The 65 year old, who was previously Ghana's president between July 2012 and January 2017, replaces former President Nana Akufo-Addo. Mahama was first sworn in as president when President John Evans Atta Mills died in July 2012. He served the rest of that term and then won an election in 2012.

Mahama promised to “reset” the country on various fronts during a campaign that prioritized the economy and largely appealed to young Ghanaians who saw the vote as a way out of the country’s economic crisis.

The election in December for both president and members of parliament was held against the backdrop of the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation and was seen as a litmus test for democracy in a region shaken by extremist violence and coups. West Africa’s regional bloc of ECOWAS said the election was generally peaceful, a continuing trend in Ghana.

Andrew Takyi, founder of a local fintech company, Zee Pay, told The Associated Press: “l am hopeful that President Mahama will use the 24-hour economy he campaigned on to improve the country. He can use that to widen the tax base of small and medium enterprises to improve revenue.”

Innocent Appiah, a senior media research officer at the Precious Minerals Marketing Company, said he expects the Mahama administration to “prioritize transparency and accountability in the extractive industry, ensuring that the PMMC plays a more effective role in regulating and monitoring the sector.”

“I anticipate policies that promote value addition, local content development and community engagement, ultimately leading to increased revenue generation and socio-economic benefits for Ghanaians,” he said.

Enyonam Agble, a trader attending the inauguration, said: “There was so much corruption under President Akufo-Addo and all we want is the recovery of all that had been stolen to rebuild the country.”