RESETTING GHANA: The Return of the Builder-In-Chief

H E John Dramani Mahama - President of Ghana

“True leadership is not about repeating the past; it is about returning to get things fixed for a sustainable future.” — Bismarck Kwesi Davis

When the Nation Calls, Builders Answer

Ghana stands once again at the crossroads of history — not in despair, but in deliberate reconstruction. After years of fiscal tightening, institutional disillusionment, and youth restlessness, the drums of transformation are echoing across the land. From Tamale to Tarkwa, Ho to Hohoe, a familiar name has re-entered the national narrative — not as a comeback tale, but as a restoration project.

President John Dramani Mahama, returned by the sovereign will of the people in 2025, has set in motion a governance renaissance fueled by austerity, purpose, and patriotism. No longer confined by the politics of applause, Mahama’s second coming is anchored in institutional efficiency, socio-economic realignment, and national rebirth.

This is not a rehearsal of power — this is Ghana’s Reset.

Trimming Power, Expanding Purpose

In a radical departure from the bloated governance models of the past, Mahama instituted a lean government with just 56 ministers and deputies — the smallest configuration since the inception of the Fourth Republic. This bold fiscal discipline is not just cosmetic; it represents a new ethos of public service where leaner government translates into wider developmental reach.

Accompanying this structural discipline is a Code of Conduct prohibiting political appointees from acquiring state assets — a decisive step toward depoliticizing state wealth and restoring public trust (Ghana Integrity Initiative, 2025).

Dialogue Before Directive

Rather than decree policy in isolation, Mahama hosted a National Economic Dialogue, bringing together financial experts, think tanks, civil society, and development partners to re-examine the contours of the $3 billion IMF programme. The objective? To realign economic recovery with Ghana’s social pulse and correct the fiscal misalignments that had eroded national confidence.

His most immediate economic acts included the abolition of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy), Betting Tax, and the COVID-19 Levy — taxes that had disproportionately burdened the informal sector and youth (IMANI Centre for Policy & Education, 2025).

In parallel, a Memorandum of Understanding with the Official Creditor Committee was signed to restructure power sector debts amounting to $2.5 billion, aiming to stabilize the energy supply chain and unlock investment (Ministry of Finance, 2025).

THE 24-HOUR ECONOMY

Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy Policy is perhaps the boldest economic vision in post-colonial Ghana — inviting industries to operate in three shifts, reducing unemployment, boosting exports, and creating a culture of productivity that aligns with Asia’s industrial model. This policy is already reshaping urban labor markets, particularly in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions.

Homegrown Case Study – Tema Industrial Belt:

Since January 2025, pilot 24-hour operations in Tema’s light manufacturing zones have recorded a 22% increase in output and 13% youth employment growth in night shifts, according to data from the Ghana Employers Association. Factories such as Kwadwo Enterprise Ltd. now run three production shifts, expanding capacity without building new infrastructure.

Degrees, Skills & Dignity

From lecture halls to workshop benches, Mahama’s new education wave is sweeping through Ghana’s youth space. The ‘No Fee Stress’ Policy now waives tuition for all first-year tertiary students, while persons with disabilities enjoy full tuition support.

Programs like the ‘Adwumawura’ Initiative, National Apprenticeship Programme, and the One Million Coders Project have shifted youth empowerment from rhetoric to results-driven inclusion — from soft tech skills in Bolgatanga to artisan training in Kumasi.

And in a profound nod to gender justice, Mahama launched the Free Sanitary Pads Initiative, reducing absenteeism and promoting menstrual dignity in over 1,200 basic and secondary schools nationwide (UNFPA Ghana, 2025).

When Compassion Meets Capital

Mahama’s Ghana Medical Trust Fund, launched under MahamaCare, now provides critical financing for the treatment of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and stroke — diseases that had previously driven thousands into poverty.

Additionally, Mahama’s government has recommitted to completing the Agenda 111 hospitals through public-private partnerships, signaling a blend of speed, scale, and sustainability in Ghana’s healthcare evolution (Ministry of Health, 2025).

Planting Justice

Illegal mining — the national wound — is now under surgical operation. Mahama has imposed an outright ban on mining in forest reserves, while launching the Tree for Life campaign and the Blue Water Initiative — large-scale restoration projects aimed at reviving degraded lands and poisoned rivers.

The establishment of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) marks a monumental policy innovation, bringing regulation, transparency, and nationalism into gold trading. Foreigners have been barred from the artisanal mining sector, giving rightful ownership back to Ghanaians (Environmental Protection Agency, 2025).

The ORAL Doctrine

Corruption has met its match in Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) — a sweeping initiative to retrieve stolen state funds, prosecute looters, and restore public assets. Anti-corruption agencies, once starved and toothless, are now being retooled with legal power, budgetary independence, and data intelligence.

Ghanaians are watching in awe as the rule of law — not just the law of rulers — begins to reassert itself.

Local Vision, Global Alignment

In all of this, Mahama’s administration remains deeply tethered to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — especially climate action, gender equity, and responsible consumption. Ghana is once again leading by example — not by mimicry, but by mission.

Rebuilding with Blueprints, Not Slogans

In a world tired of populism and perfumed politics, Mahama's return represents a new doctrine of leadership — one that sees power as scaffolding, not spoils. His second term is not a romantic sequel; it is a technocratic redemption powered by policy, patriotism, and the pulse of the people.

This is not just Mahama’s moment — it is Ghana’s movement.

And in every district assembly, every overloaded classroom, every forgotten village hospital, the whisper is turning into a roar:

“The builder is back.”

References

Ghana Integrity Initiative. (2025). Code of conduct for political appointees launched. Accra: GII Press.

IMANI Centre for Policy and Education. (2025). Evaluating tax reforms under Mahama’s second term. Accra: IMANI Research Papers.

Ministry of Finance. (2025). Debt restructuring and creditor agreement highlights. Accra: Government of Ghana.

Ministry of Health. (2025). Agenda 111 implementation progress report. Accra: MOH Publications.

UNFPA Ghana. (2025). Menstrual hygiene and school attendance data analysis. Accra: UNFPA Reports.

Environmental Protection Agency. (2025). Mining bans and restoration initiatives: An EPA update. Accra: EPA Ghana.