Mahama’s 120-Day Promise: Bold Vision or Political Rhetoric?

Dear Mr. Mahama,

It’s me again; the guy who did not vote for you but is looking to you to be that radical leader Ghana needs right now.

In my first letter to you, I clarified that I abstained from voting not because I do not believe in democracy, but because I have grown increasingly cynical of the candidates and promises put before us on the ballot. What I want—what many Ghanaians want, I believe—is not grand speeches or lofty visions, but real, measurable transformation. For years, political leadership has felt performative.

As of now, the EC has confirmed that you won the election with 56.55%, and, even with all the hullabaloo about some of the constituencies, it is still clear that the NDC has obtained a supermajority in parliament, the kind never before seen since in 1993. And since the announcement, I’ve listened to rhetorics from your communicators, especially the ones I follow; Samuel Nartey George and Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa, who seem to be very clear on what the endorsement by Ghanaians, especially the youth, means to you.

I have also listened to you and read your 120 Days in Office Social Contract with Ghanaians. Very ambitious, needed but ambitious plans you’ve got there. But, Sir, you and the NDC have touted big dreams before, only to leave Ghanaians grappling with more hardship and less hope. So, forgive me if I meet your First 120 Days Social Contract with more skepticism than excitement.

Your proposed plan is undeniably ambitious. A roadmap with 24 key action points in 120 days—a little over three months—paints you as a man in a hurry. But ambition is not the same as achievement, and rhetoric is not the same as results. Let’s be clear: you have promised to turn the ship of state in a direction no leader has ever managed to turn it before—and to do it with speed and precision. The question remains: can you deliver?

We’ve been here before. In 2013, when you first became President, your first 100 days were met with scrutiny and discontent. The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) urged you to move beyond words and take bold action against corruption. Vitus Azeem, its Executive Director, demanded you compel appointees to declare their assets and prosecute those implicated in corrupt dealings. Instead, those days were marred by a lack of decisive movement. The words action, action, action! echoed across the nation, yet little tangible action followed.

Similarly, on the ground, Ghanaians were struggling. Water shortages, relentless dumsor, and rising living costs painted a picture of a government struggling to find its footing. You defended yourself, lamenting that your administration was denied the honeymoon period your predecessors enjoyed. Perhaps. But politics is not a honeymoon; it is a business of delivery. Your opponents will always heckle, the public will always judge, and time will never slow down. You do not have the luxury to ask for grace. Not then, and certainly not now.

Your current First 120 Days plan is bold. Too bold, some might argue. In sum, you have promised the following in just three months:

On paper, this is breathtaking—a comprehensive sweep across governance, economy, education, environment, and social welfare. But Mr. Mahama, have you learned from your past, or are you setting yourself up for failure again?

Because here is the truth: Ghana does not need big promises anymore. What we need is precision, focus, and a few tangible victories in the area of systems strengthening. Over-promising and under-delivering will only widen the trust deficit that already exists between you and the people.

Let me remind you of the Late Jerry John Rawlings’ words, in the late 1970s, about what Ghana needs most. When interviewed about whether people can vote him out of office, after the coup, as a young leader, Rawlings said, “I’m saying that we can vote people in and out; personalities okay. But …what we need to do is to establish a situation where even if it was the devil that should come and sit on top of us in Ghana, by certain procedures, and certain practices, the devil cannot get away with doing what he wants. He would necessarily have to do what the people expect of him.”

Execution is Everything

Let’s start with your timeline. How do you intend to nominate your entire Cabinet and pass them through parliamentary approval in just 14 days? Ghana’s bureaucracy moves at the speed of molasses. For decades, the machinery of government has been weighed down by inefficiency, political patronage, and a lack of accountability. Your 2013 Cabinet, for example, was widely criticized for its size and lack of cohesion. This time around, you promise the leanest and most efficient government under the Fourth Republic. But without radical reforms to the appointment process and strict benchmarks for performance, the same inefficiencies will plague your administration. Maybe you’re looking to the NDC super majority in parliament to become a rubber stamp for you and your appointees. But would that be healthy for our young democratic experiment? Was that not what the Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah was accused of?

Then there is your pledge to hold a National Economic Dialogue. While consultation is important, Ghanaians do not need another talk shop. We know the state of the economy: unemployment is crippling, inflation eats at our livelihoods, and the debt burden suffocates our growth. What we need is action—swift, bold, and pragmatic action—to stabilize the economy and create jobs.

Your tax reforms sound good on paper. Scrapping the E-levy, COVID-19 levy, and other draconian taxes will resonate with many Ghanaians. But have you carefully mapped out how you will replace the revenue these taxes generate? Without alternative solutions, you will only deepen the fiscal hole we find ourselves in. Those in the think tank space like the Institute of Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI) know that the E-levy was established to pay the IMF. So, scrapping it off would mean you’d have to find alternative revenue streams to pay the IMF. Also, some have suggested that the COVID-19 levy be redesigned to something, I’d suggest paying for Free SHS, but you say you’ll just abolish it. Hmmm!!!

In your first term, you struggled to deliver on promises like job creation and anti-corruption reforms. The much-touted Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), for instance, became a symbol of waste and poor management. Your government’s inability to tackle dumsor decisively for years also left scars on your legacy. Ghanaians remember these things, Mr. Mahama. Trust is earned through results, not rhetoric.

This time, you cannot afford to fail. If you truly want to regain the trust of Ghanaians, you must deliver on the priorities that matter most—jobs, education, healthcare, poverty reduction, and accountability. Forget the lofty speeches and grand plans. Start with the basics. Fix what is broken.

Mr. Mahama, you say your government will be different. That you have learned from the past and will deliver real change. If so, let me challenge you to achieve some very practical moves that will prove your difference:

First, let me re-echo Vitus’ Azeem’s words from 2013 to you today, Mr. President; you and all your affines, assigns and appointees must declare your assets within 24 hours after your swearing into the office and after their appointments are made. I didn’t see that clearly in your 120-day Social Contract. But I believe it would be one of the most overt indications of your willingness and ability to fight corruption like you’ve touted.

Also, since Ghana is in dire need of revenue, and you’re taking away some of the taxes to lessen our burden, can you, through your super majority in parliament reduce the number of cars in the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Convoys, cut government spending by half, and reduce the salaries of your Ministers and other appointees by half what the current government is paying? This would be a bold statement of your true intentions, Mr. President, and your will to reset this nation.

In conclusion, words will not be enough!!!

Mr. Mahama, Ghanaians are tired. Tired of big promises, tired of empty speeches, and leaders who talk a good game but fail to deliver. Your first 120 days will set the tone for your 2nd presidency. But remember this: execution will matter more than ambition. Focus less on the headlines and more on the results. Prove to Ghanaians that this time is different. Show us action! action!!, action!!!.

If you do, perhaps next time, I—and millions of others—will believe that our democracy is not just a performance. That we finally have a leader who understands the urgency of now.

Yours sincerely, A Skeptical but Hopeful Ghanaian

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About the Writer:

Theodore Abiwu [Efo] Korku Mawutor is the Vice President of the Institute of Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI). He is a Multimedia Journalist and a fellow of the Journalists in Social Protection, (JISOP) Ghana.