The year 2025 began with optimism for most Ghanaians as President John Dramani Mahama had returned to office with a sweeping mandate and declared a reset.
He said the right things and he exudes good intentions. 15 months later, the sense of optimism has dimmed considerably. But even in the midst of that optimism, those with wisdom were worried.
As a Professor emeritus of Legon told me, “Some of us were shocked by the warm reception of Traore of Burkina Faso and hence, concerned about what would happen if President Mahama’s “RESET” does not succeed.”
She urged the NPP to “get your house in order so that Ghanaians can see a viable alternative to the NDC ready to govern to improve national stability.” She was dead right.
On November 30th, 2025, the UN Security Council stated that “the Security situation of several countries in West Africa and the Sahel region continues to deteriorate significantly as terrorist groups continue to expand their influence and secure greater stronghold across the region.”
On February 14th, 2026, 7 Ghanaians traders were amongst the 20 people killed by militants in Titao, Northern Burkina Faso. The sucess of the reset depends, not just on socio-economic development but also, national security and stability.
Kay Cudjoe, in an open letter to President Mahama, stated reassuringly that, ” This is not a rejection of your leadership. It is a warning about what is happening around it.” Really, Kay? Can one disparage the soup of a fufu meal while praising the fufu? Kay went on to state that , “accountability is weakening”.
Was accountability ever strong under this reset? Perhaps, Kay’s message should have been addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice, the heads of SOEs, anti-corruption bodies, the media, religious leaders, party leaders and the public. The President alone is not the government and the government alone does not our democracy make.
Perhaps, like a pretty maiden in love, we were too eager to believe the blandishments of the resetters. They were facing the same challenges that led to the failures of all our governments since independence and have led to our 17 trips to the IMF and our many revolutions.
No changes were made to the system and as we learned from Edward Deming, a bad system will beat good men nearly every time. State-owned enterprises were not reformed before new leaders were named to administer the old corrupt institutions.
The corruption infrastructure anchored in decades-old practices and taken to unseen heights by the Kyebi mafia was not dismantled or disturbed, despite the loud noises about ORAL.
The National Economic Forum just repeated speeches delivered years earlier at Senchi and glaringly failed to grapple with corruption or the role of the Diaspora in our development.
No bold FATWAs were declared against CRONYISM, NEPOTISM and TRIBALISM. — Galamsey, that had been a defining issue of the 2024 campaign just hesitated for a moment and then, despite the new initiatives and policies, resumed its destruction of our forests and pollution of our rivers.
Sadly, it seems that the President and the “few good men” he had with him showed up to a gun fight with knives and the outcome has never been in doubt. French philosopher Monet once said, “Nothing is possible without MEN but nothing is lasting without INSTITUTIONS.”
Sadly, we have what 2024 Nobel laureates in Economics Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson described as EXTRACTIVE ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS, which are designed ” to extract incomes and wealth from one subset of society to benefit a different subset”.
We should be focusing our collective efforts on building and strengthening INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC and POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS that truly have the elements of the free enterprise system that we pay lip service to.
That is why despite the noise, the galamsey machinery keeps running smoothly while the emergency the President supported as a candidate has not been declared and NDC operatives are boldly attacking religious leaders for daring to complain about galamsey.
As Acemoglu and Robinson demonstrate in their book, “WHY NATIONS FAIL”, even when the right policies are put in place, they are deliberately subverted and that is why we have been to the IMF 17 times with the same problems.
To turn to the judicial system, it is unacceptable that despite all the ORAL noises, more fowl and cassava thieves have been jailed than political thieves under this reset while the public tribunals remain on the drawing board and the Attorney General seeks to weaken the Special Prosecutor.
Why would Anthony Yeboah tackle Abedi Pele when the latter has the ball and is trying to score for Ghana? Is this “aboro” or “bayie”? As Jeremiah 5:28 makes clear, ” They do not judge with justice the cause of the orphan to make it prosper and they do not defend the rights of the needy.”
As the President rightly told an NDC ignoramus, ” I am not in charge of Parliament “. With such a healthy majority and an experienced Speaker, Parliament could help the President and Ghana with some vigorous and fearless executive oversight.
And when they demand the removal of some non-performing executive officer, unlike the NPP, they should stand their ground! And a Judicial Reform bill that would put our justice system on a modern, fast, responsive footing is long overdue.
To return to the President briefly, I have some friendly and patriotic advice. Mr. President, your intentions are good but Presidencies are not judged by intentions and words. They are judged by bold decisive actions. Sir, END GALAMSEY OOO TOM!!! Enforce ACCOUNTABILITY!! Heads should have rolled when the youth died at El-Wak.
Since you admitted that some NDC officials are involved in the galamsey you are fighting, some heads should have rolled. Sir fight Nepotism, Cronyism and Tribalism with vigour.
Nepotism was the most despicable aspect of the Akufo-Addo led government and though the Kyebi Mafia has left town, other mafia persist and other, more powerful mafiasos have joined them.
As for the tribalism, I am told that under your government some are insisting that heads of Universities and Teaching hospitals must hail from the local area and getting their way!
The idea that some day, only Ganyobi can lead Korle-bu and Legon and only Ashantis can lead KNUST etc undermines our national character! Stop it. Next, lead a clean-up of our political parties.
They are the ultimate source of corruption in our public space. What happened in the NPP Presidential primary and the NDC primary that produced Baba Jamal was a disgrace to Ghana.
It seems neither the NDC that won 2024 nor the NPP that lost have changed one bit. The question, Sir, is whether your reset is about managing our decline or about leading Ghana to a better place. Let the media follow Joyfm, the 4th estate and the few standing for Ghana and let the Asofo speak truth to power, fearlessly.
As for the rest of us, let our actions match our words. Let’s stand with good people. This week, Professor Frimpong Boateng was in court, to deal with lawsuits from his anti-Galamsey work and report, unlike his colleagues who looked the other way or participated in it.
Pray for him, and when you see him, thank him for being a patriot. May God help our reset. May God bless Ghana.
