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No tolerance for arrogance and disrespect – President Mahama tells appointees
President John Dramani Mahama has advised his appointees to eschew any form of disrespect and arrogance to Ghanaians.
According to him, the people wield the power and have entrusted in them to serve and for that reason, they should serve them with respect.
He made this remarks at Jubilee House on January 22, 2025, during the swearing-in ceremony of six ministerial appointees.
John Mahama reiterated his government’s commitment to upholding good governance and accountability.
“We must exhibit tolerance for their views and work to meet their aspirations. This government will not tolerate arrogance or disrespect for the people who elected us into office. Modesty and prudence must be the guiding principles upon which you, myself, and our Vice President fashion our governance,” he added.
According to him,“The people of Ghana will hold us accountable for the trust they have placed in our hands. It cannot be business as usual. We must be transparent and fair in all our dealings,” he emphasised.
“As I pointed out during my inaugural speech, Ghanaians have, through their votes, declared their intention to demand the highest standards of governance, and we cannot afford to fail them,” he stated.
The ministers are Dr Ato Forson- Minister for Finance, John Jinapor- Minister for Energy & Green Transition, Dr Dominic Ayine- Attorney General &Minister for Justice, Haruna Iddrisu- Minister for Education Eric Opoku- Minister for Food and Agriculture and KwameAgbodza- Minister for Roads and Highways.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executive Committee member and Volta River Authority (VRA) Board Member, Wonder Victor Kutor, has described calls for the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as premature and unjustified.
He argued that there was no evidence to establish that the minister had committed any wrongdoing to warrant such demands.
Speaking on Joy News in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Mr Kutor questioned what had changed to justify the growing calls for the minister to step down.
He recalled that the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had earlier indicated that the opposition was not accusing Mr Ablakwa of any wrongdoing.
Mr Kutor, therefore, challenged those demanding the minister’s resignation to provide fresh evidence to support their position.
“The call for the Minister to resign is premature, it is untenable. There is no evidence. I mean, what has he done wrong?” he questioned.
He added that documents, including boarding passes, airline receipts and flight manifests relating to the minister’s return journey, had been provided.
Mr Kutor expressed concern that the calls for Mr Ablakwa’s resignation could discourage young politicians from speaking out against corruption and advocating transparency.
According to him, politicians should not be targeted or maligned for demanding accountability, warning that such treatment could create the impression that speaking against corruption could later become a liability when one is appointed to public office.
He maintained that calling for accountability and transparency should not be used as grounds to target public officials without evidence of wrongdoing.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana will host the Africa Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTAC) 2026 alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026 in Accra from December 9 to 12, 2026.
On the back of these programmes, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on corporate Ghana, the media and the general public to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships and active participation.
The events, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will bring together stakeholders to celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, strengthen the creative economy, promote industrial skills development and create employment opportunities for young people.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
