Former President John Mahama has postulated that notwithstanding the challenges the country is facing, disruptions of the constitutional order cannot be an option.
“I am an unrepentant believer in democracy, I hold it is the only viable path to nation building and disruptions of the constitutional order cannot be an option and will rather worsen a dire situation, but I am also pragmatic enough to realise mere rhetoric and exhortations about democracy no longer give our people hope,” he underscored.
Former President Mahama indicated that the youth who were desperately searching for jobs or young families whose mortgage plans had been disrupted because “the dollar had arrested the cedi” adding that what threatens them must threaten the society and jolt people into solution mode of touching on stronger social fabric towards sustainable democracy,
According to him, aside reversing the economic decay, there was the need to reweave the social fabric, which was bursting at the seams and threatening national cohesion, harmony and democracy saying “the despair and disenchantment the economic and social problems has created within the citizenry could not and should not be underestimated.
“There are many in the country who questioned relevance and usefulness of democratic path Ghanaians chartered 30 years ago,they see little progress or hope to convince them democracy we are practicing is worth effort, citizens also have responsibility to contribute towards national development but structures must be put in place to support and assist them to achieve that goal.
“In my interactions with them, they do not expect the government to solve all their problems and challenges they are not unreasonable, we as political leaders must demonstrate through our deeds the struggle to restore democratic rule those three decades ago and the flame of hope that was lit in our people has not been in vain sowe must restore confidence in the democratic path,” former President Mahama pointed out.
He said the government could make headway “if it carried out extensive reforms of the governance system and delivered the goods and services the people yearned for which is the way to go, even in times of crisis, they still see silver lining at the edge of the clouds and can wait out hard times with assurance of effective, efficient and responsive leadership will work in their best interest”.
Former President Mahama cautioned political elite for taking the citizenry for granted and were governing and using resources in manner suggested personal benefit overrode national collective benefit andstressed on the need to adopt bold and radical measures to carry the people along to win back their trust and confidence in managing affairs of the state. -GNA
