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Zaato rates Mahama administration 60 percent on economy, urges caution in early praise
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A Senior Lecturer and political analyst at the University of Ghana, Dr Joshua Jebuntie Zaato, has given President John Dramani Mahama’s administration a 60 percent score for its economic performance, while cautioning against excessive praise in the first year of governance.
Speaking in an analysis of the economy, Dr Zaato explained that although current economic indicators show improvement, such performance is not unusual in the first year of a new administration.
He described the score as a high 60, noting that key indicators such as fuel prices and inflation have improved.
He acknowledged that the economic figures being highlighted by government officials are positive and visible, stressing that he would not deny the progress being recorded.
However, he urged the public to view the gains within a historical context.
According to him, every finance minister in Ghana since the year 2000 has recorded strong performance in their first year in office.
He referenced former finance ministers, including Yaw Osafo Maafo, Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, and Ken Ofori Atta, noting that they all enjoyed praise during their early years.
Dr Zaato recalled how Ken Ofori Atta received widespread admiration after his first budget presentation, with some commentators describing it as impressive and intellectually sound.
He explained that such early optimism is a pattern that has repeated itself over the years.
He warned that early success does not always reflect long-term strength, pointing out that by the third or fourth year, the real performance of finance ministers usually becomes clear.
He advised Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson to ignore praise from what he described as bootlickers and sycophants.
Dr Zaato stressed that economic gains in the first and second years are often not new or extraordinary, as similar trends have occurred under previous administrations.
He cited past examples where strong beginnings later gave way to public dissatisfaction and calls for change.
He added that sustaining economic gains over time is the real challenge, not achieving short-term improvements.
He noted that even the President has recently acknowledged the need to protect early gains and avoid economic decline in later years.
Dr Zaato concluded that while the current economic performance deserves recognition, it should be assessed with patience and caution, as history has shown that long-term results matter more than early success.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Mahama chairs security meeting over drug trafficking, orders formation of inter-agency task force
President John Dramani Mahama today chaired a meeting of security chiefs and received a detailed briefing on investigations into the recent trafficking of drugs out of Ghana’s ports.
The President was informed that ten individuals, including four officers of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), are being held while investigations continue.
The meeting reviewed the structure and security systems in place and recommended new actions.
President Mahama has directed that an inter-agency task force be formed to present a detailed roadmap, emanating from today’s meeting, on measures to prevent the trafficking of drugs through Ghana’s borders within two weeks.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
A University of Ghana research on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) National General Secretary election has found that 74.2% of surveyed delegates expect former Subin MP Eugene Boakye Antwi to win the October 3 election.
The research, conducted by a team of lecturers from the University of Ghana, Legon, led by Dr Chris Atadika, involved 889 NPP stakeholders.
According to the findings, 657 of the 889 respondents, representing 74.2%, identified Eugene Boakye Antwi as the candidate they expected to win the General Secretary position.
Incumbent General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua was identified by 223 respondents, representing 25.1%, while six respondents, or 0.7%, mentioned Sylvester Tetteh.
The researchers, however, stressed that the figures reflect the expectations of the respondents and should not be interpreted as an independent prediction of the election outcome.
The study also examined other areas of the contest, including candidate preference, perceived ability to help the NPP win the 2028 general election and name recognition.
On candidate preference, 76.6% of respondents identified Eugene Boakye Antwi as their preferred candidate, compared with 23.1% for Justin Frimpong Kodua.
When asked which candidate they believed could help the NPP win the 2028 election, 60.1% mentioned Eugene Boakye Antwi, while 39.2% chose Justin Frimpong Kodua.
The research further found that Eugene Boakye Antwi had an 82.7% name recognition among respondents when they were asked to identify candidates contesting the position. Justin Frimpong Kodua recorded 13%.
The respondents also identified good communication skills and boldness, the ability to help the party secure victory in 2028, and the ability to unite the party as some of the key qualities needed in the next General Secretary.
The study recorded 100% awareness of the General Secretary election among the respondents.
The research team, led by Dr Chris Atadika, is expected to brief the media on the full findings at the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana, Legon.
The NPP will elect its National General Secretary on October 3, 2026.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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