Dr. John Osae-Kwapong, a distinguished Research Fellow at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and astute political analyst, has offered a preliminary assessment of President John Mahama’s administration during its inaugural 102 days in office.
According to Dr. Osae-Kwapong, the current government appears to be endeavoring to establish a distinct tone, markedly different from Mahama’s previous administration, which ultimately succumbed to electoral defeat in 2016.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue, Dr. Osae-Kwapong highlighted pivotal actions, such as limiting the number of ministers to 60, a campaign promise, and addressing pressing concerns, including the contentious E-levy policy.
“I believe the John Mahama administration is trying to set a different tone. At least from my observation, compared to his first administration and what led to his loss in 2016,” he remarked.
Dr. Osae-Kwapong further emphasized the administration’s efforts to tackle immediate challenges, stating, “I mean putting a government together, ensuring that he is sticking with his promise of no more than 60 ministers, some of those key things, low-hanging fruits that you can immediately tackle. The E-levy, a very unpopular policy.”
While acknowledging these endeavors, Dr. Osae-Kwapong noted that several issues remain unresolved, cautioning that the administration’s full trajectory and impact cannot be definitively determined within a mere four months.
“As to how it all plays, I think it will take more than 120 days,” Dr. Osae-Kwapong observed, adding that the budget has signaled the administration’s priorities and framework for governance.
“Overall though, my initial assessment is that again, if you look at the budget, they have signaled where they want to place their priorities, how they want to spend or not spend. They are putting in place a good framework that will allow them to govern the way President Mahama foresees his current government,” he said.
Ultimately, as the John Mahama administration navigates its early days, Dr. Osae-Kwapong’s assessment provides valuable insight into the government’s trajectory and its efforts to establish a new tone in Ghanaian politics.
