Former President John Dramani Mahama has observed that, despite the fact that Ghanaians were subjected to “unprecedented hardships” in 2022, the coming year, 2023, would not be any different.
In his New Year message to Ghanaians, the former president reiterated how Ghana defaulted on its debt obligations as a result of what he called “reckless binge borrowing” by government over the last few years.
“And our democracy and patience as a people were tested to their elastic limits,” he remarked on Saturday.
Mr. Mahama, however, urged his compatriots not to give up hope as they look forward in building the “Ghana we want”
“We welcome the new year, 2023, knowing that a journey of austerity and sacrifice is just beginning. But we cannot give up HOPE! We cannot give up on our dear motherland Ghana.”
Find his full message below
2023 NEW YEAR MESSAGE FROM HE JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA
What a year it has been!
Our dear nation, Ghana, defaulted on our debt obligations due to reckless binge borrowing over the last few years.
Ghanaians have been confronted with unprecedented hardships never seen under this Fourth Republic. And our democracy and patience as a people were tested to their elastic limits.
We welcome the new year, 2023, knowing that a journey of austerity and sacrifice is just beginning. But we cannot give up HOPE! We cannot give up on our dear motherland Ghana.
As we face the future with fortitude, let us remember the solemn words of the hymnist, Johnson Oatman Jr, when he urges us to Count Our Blessings and Name Them One by One.
We have been fortunate to survive as a nation and are lucky by the grace of the Almighty to be alive to see the dawn of a new year. Once we have the gift of life, which is the most important of all, there is opportunity in the new year to be better versions of ourselves and work even harder towards salvaging our dear nation from the avoidable abyss into which she has been plunged.
May this new year open the pathway and bring us to the cusp of building the ‘Ghana We Want’— a Ghana of opportunities for all and one in which our individual and collective aspirations are achieved.
I wish you all, my fellow countrymen and women, a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.
Blessings!
John Dramani Mahama
Former President of the Republic of Ghana
December 31, 2022