John Dramani Mahama was sworn in for a second term as Ghana’s president on Tuesday at a ceremony in the capital Accra, pledging to overcome public discontent by boosting the economy and creating much-needed jobs.
The opposition leader, 66, won the Dec. 7 presidential election by a wide margin to stage a political comeback in the West African nation, the world’s number-two cocoa producer.
Taking over from Nana Akufo-Addo, who steps down after serving two terms, continuing Ghana’s democratic tradition in a region gripped elsewhere by military coups and jihadist insurgencies. Dramani was President from 2011-2016 after he was defeated by Nana Akufo-Ado by a keenly contested election, has return to take what he handed over some eight plus years ago.
Over 20 presidents and heads of state from around the world attended the rite in Accra’s independence square, the scene of Ghanaian presidential inaugurations since Kwame Nkrumah was sworn in over six decades ago.
“We are a people battered by economic crises and hardships. But there’s hope on the horizon,” Mahama said in a speech to cheers from thousands of boisterous supporters.
But Mahama is under pressure to deliver quickly on campaign promises to curb high youth unemployment and root out entrenched corruption – issues that have fuelled distrust in Ghana’s political system.
In his speech, Mahama said his new economic model would be anchored in agriculture and agribusiness, and would provide jobs for young people, stimulate local industry and attract foreign investment.
Analysts and supporters of Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) party see his two-thirds majority in parliament as a strong mandate to take tough decisions and implement credible policies to improve livelihoods and regain investor confidence.
