President John Dramani Mahama has painted a stark picture of Ghana’s economic challenges, calling the situation an “unprecedented crisis” in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, February 27, 2025.
“The state of our nation is not good. Our economy is struggling, and our people are enduring an unprecedented crisis,” Mahama stated, striking a candid and urgent tone before Parliament.
Despite the grim outlook, he assured Ghanaians of his resolve to tackle the crisis rather than dwell on it.
“My approach is to acknowledge the difficulties and tackle them head-on. I did not come here to lament the state of our country,” he affirmed.
Having returned to office after nearly a decade, Mahama acknowledged the high expectations placed on his leadership and pledged bold measures to revive the economy.
“I will confront this economic crisis directly and reset our country on a path of growth and prosperity,” he vowed.
He also reaffirmed his leadership style, making it clear that he takes full responsibility in moments of crisis.
“It is not in my nature to lament or shift blame in the face of challenges,” he stated.
Reflecting on his previous tenure, Mahama revisited one of Ghana’s most debated issues—dumsor (persistent power outages).
“Mr. Speaker, I fixed dumsor. From January 2016 until I handed over power, there was no power rationing,” he asserted, defending his administration’s efforts in stabilizing the energy sector.
Mahama, who previously served as President from 2012 to 2017, expressed a renewed sense of purpose in his return to the nation’s highest office.
“It has been nearly a decade since I last stood before this Parliament, but destiny and the will of God have brought me back,” he reflected.
