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What was outstanding were induction of the President – our President – and before that, engagement of the previous administration with the team from the incoming administration.
All of these events we have, however, seen before, and we need not fuss over nitty-gritty because there is a template to work with.
Unless any group intends mischief, the fact is that there is a tenure that begins and ends at a date, and there is an arrangement on transiting expenditure levels, for instance. That is why the work of the transition team is expedited in all sincerity with Ghana and the Constitution at the centre.
With all these in place, we must all admit as political parties, supporters, Ghanaians, and civil society bodies that there is a President – one President voted for by the people to take charge till another is elected next four years.
At this point, it becomes imperative that all of us in our diverse ways and national obligation, submit to the authority of the President, while he lawfully exercises his powers under the Constitution to plan and implement programmes that move the nation forward.
On January 7 after any election year, that President is inaugurated with all the ceremony befitting the august occasion to signal a beginning, and also a continuation of the governance journey that all civilised nations go through.
It is the view of The Inquirer, therefore, that whatever the drama and excesses we visited upon ourselves, it is imperative that we put ourselves together and attune our minds to the reality of a new administration being in place to implement its programmes and ideas for the national good.
Thankfully, this is an administration that has experience. This is also a President that has experience. From a social worker and assemblyman, through Member of Parliament (MP) and Minister as well as running mate, Vice President and twice President, John Dramani Mahama has a rare opportunity to transform the nation.
He has seen good times and bad times in terms of the changing global economic climate. In the same breath, he has seen hostile weather in terms of political contests and media vibes and jibes. He is therefore no stranger to the global dynamics or local environment.
In addition, John Mahama may also have seen human nature in his dealing with appointees as well as party people and peculiar constituencies. Certainly, all these should equip him with the building blocks required to harness the best potentials in executing his mandate.
Like the exiting President, he has a feel also of the workings of eminent bodies such as traditional rulers and religious.
More importantly, in the opinion of The Inquirer, he must be familiar with the business environment and the trusted brains he needs to jell and work with in attaining his vision for the respective sectors.
For those who query his grasp of what a 24-hour economy should be, he has an opportunity to concretise that vision in the same manner his fight on corruption should be inward-looking and sustainable.
For a warrior who has weathered the storm and overturned the fortunes for his advantage, John Mahama has nothing to lose executing all or a fair number of his programmes that particularly address the deficits in job creation and poverty in vulnerable communities.
If there is any virtue in the do-and-die vibe, The Inquirer believes this landslide victory should be an opportunity for the President to transform the economy, making use of the most capable team available in not turning Ghana around to sail the IMF Country Programme, but also do more to justify the massive support he enjoyed form the electorate who voted massively for a change with him as captain of MV Ghana.
It will not be enough for Ghanaians to simply sit down and do nothing; or just adopt a ‘wait and see’ attitude.
Governance or good governance, for that matter, is a healthy mix of loyalty on the part of citizens in playing their roles to complement the effort government makes in interventions that impact citizens.
As a good governance, democracy and development partner, The Inquirer therefore calls on all Ghanaians to support the government to deliver for the national good.
May God bless the President; may God bless Ghana.
