President John Dramani Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has described Ghana as a “crime scene” due to the reckless handling of the economy by the previous New Patriotic Party administration.
In a video shared by Citi FM, President Mahama, while speaking during a meeting with the Labour Union on February 20, 2025, expressed shock at the extent of economic mismanagement and called for collective sacrifice to stabilize the nation’s finances.
President Mahama acknowledged the challenges faced by workers but urged them to temper their demands for the sake of national recovery.
“We all knew the economy was in crisis, but some of the things I’m discovering myself… it’s been a criminal handling of our economy. Ghana is a crime scene because I cannot understand how a government could have been so reckless,” President Mahama stated.
He highlighted several austerity measures, including cuts to government expenditure, to address the economic crisis.
“Even we in the Office of Government Machinery are cutting our budget. We must all make sacrifices. When everyone else is tightening their belts, the political class cannot be loosening theirs,” he added.
President Mahama also proposed the establishment of an independent emoluments committee to set fair wages for all public sector workers, from the president to the ordinary laborer.
He assured the unions that once the economy stabilizes, workers would benefit from a larger “cake” through improved wages and conditions.
The government has already approved a 10% salary increase for public sector workers, effective March 1, 2025, as part of efforts to address economic challenges and rising living costs.
However, President Mahama stressed that this year must be one of correction and stabilization.
“Right now, the meal is not only insufficient, the cooking pot is even leaking. And so, I just appeal to you; let’s temper our demands for this year. Once we get out of the woods, let’s use this year as the year of correction. When the economy moves in the right direction, we can share bigger benefits. But for now, we must focus on fixing the leaking cooking pot,” he said.
The President’s remarks come amid ongoing efforts to revive Ghana’s economy, including measures to reduce inflation, stabilize the cedi, and implement structural reforms.
His administration has also pledged to tackle corruption and wasteful expenditure, aiming to restore public trust in governance.
Watch the video below:
Highlights: President Mahama meets Labour Union! The government has since approved a 10% wage increase for public sector workers. #CitiNewsroom#CitiVerify pic.twitter.com/nDx0A90WKU
— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) February 20, 2025
ID/MA
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