John Dramani Mahama, the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has dismissed Dr Mohammed Amin Adam’s recent apology to Ghanaians, arguing that the Finance Minister is not appropriate to apologise for the government’s policies and the resulting hardships.
In a town hall meeting on August 6, 2024, Dr Amin Adam expressed regret for the difficulties faced by Ghanaians due to the government’s implementation of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), a policy aimed at restructuring the country’s debt by exchanging high-interest short-term debt for lower-interest long-term debt, which was necessary for securing an IMF facility.
He urged forgiveness from the public, acknowledging that the policy was a painful but necessary step for debt restructuring.
However, Mahama contends that Dr Amin Adam, who was recently appointed as Finance Minister, should not bear the responsibility of this apology. Instead, Mahama believes that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who has been at the helm of the government and its economic policies, should be the ones to offer an apology to the nation.
Speaking during a campaign event in the Volta Region on August 13, 2024, Mahama stated:
“This Finance Minister they just brought yesterday, he is not part of those who have put us where we are. They said to him, ‘Okay, go and apologise’, but we don’t want his apology. He just came.
“Those who must apologise are 1. Jack Toronto (a nickname he gave President Akufo-Addo), 2. the Head of the Solid Economic Management Team, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.”
Mahama also emphasised that an apology alone would not suffice. He urged Ghanaians to vote out the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming elections, asserting that the current administration’s policies have inflicted significant hardship on the populace.
“Even whatever apology they give, Ghanaians must send them back into opposition. We either change or do more of the same. We are dissatisfied with more of the same, so something must give; change must happen,” Mahama declared.
The NDC leader’s remarks reflect growing dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of economic issues and underscore the critical importance of the upcoming elections in shaping the country’s future.
