‎"Criticism Helps Me Do Better": What President Mahama's Remark Tells Us About Accountability

Leaders rarely say they welcome their critics. President John Dramani Mahama did, in Moscow.

What he said
Speaking to the Ghanaian community in Moscow on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit, Mahama said criticism from citizens on social media, including TikTok, helps him assess his government's performance and hold ministers accountable for challenges in their sectors.

He said he does not mind being told he is leading the country in the wrong direction, because "Criticism helps me do better." He also made clear he is watching. His message to online critics was that he sees their TikToks.

How criticism helps a leader
It is a feedback loop. Online criticism is a free, unfiltered opinion poll on public services. Mahama said he uses it to confront ministers, telling them he has seen what citizens are saying.

It crosses party lines. He said criticism from citizens, whatever their political affiliation, is an important tool for improving governance.

It shifts loyalty from party to country. He urged Ghanaians to put national accountability above partisan loyalty.

It pushes critics to be sharper. This is a consistent theme in his career. In 2013, he said critics should be decent in pointing out his faults, since a person is won over when criticism is easy to take.

In 2017, as a former president, he urged officials to stay open to criticism and correction from opponents and the public, calling it key to development.

The other side of the ledger
Words must be matched by action. Mahama has at times been less patient with his critics. At a past party event he said he would not let "useless insults" distract him from his mandate.

Opposition voices and civil society will argue that the real test of an open-door attitude is visible policy change: ministers sanctioned or reshuffled, complaints fixed, and online critics treated as stakeholders and not as opponents.

Supporters will answer that a president who says he reads the criticism is already ahead of many leaders. Both views are fair, and citizens will judge by results.

The bottom line
Constructive criticism is not an attack on leadership but a tool for it. The remark sets a standard for the president, his ministers and the people who criticise them.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,

International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. (USIP)

[email protected]
+233555275880

References
Graphic Online, "Don't think I don't see them – President Mahama says he monitors TikTok criticism": https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/dont-think-i-dont-see-them-president-mahama-says-he-monitors-tiktok-criticism.html

Ghana News Agency (GNA), Iddi Yire, 30 Oct 2026, "President Mahama says criticism makes him a better leader": https://gna.org.gh/2026/10/president-mahama-says-criticism-makes-him-a-better-leader/

Adom Online, "I see all the TikToks: social media criticism helps me become a better leader – Mahama": https://www.adomonline.com/i-see-all-the-tiktoks-social-media-criticism-helps-me-become-a-better-leader-mahama/

GhanaWeb, 16 Sept 2013, "Criticise me decently – Mahama": https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Criticise-me-decently-Mahama-285913

GhanaWeb, 13 Nov 2017, "Learn to accept criticism – Mahama to leaders": https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Learn-to-accept-criticism-Mahama-to-leaders-599878

Graphic Online, "I won't be distracted by the useless insults – President Mahama" (undated in the search result): https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/i-won-t-be-distracted-by-the-useless-insults-president-mahama.html