President John Dramani Mahama has jokingly told his appointees to try to own farms and engage in agriculture, as the mitigating factor of his reshuffle will be based on appointees owning a farm.
Speaking at the maiden Ghana Tree Crops Investment Summit and Exhibition on Tuesday, February 17, President Mahama stated, “When I am going to do a reshuffle, the mitigating factor will be that you must have a farm. So, public servants, ministers, priests, clergymen, traditional rulers, everybody, try and do some agriculture.”
President Mahama made this known while revealing he is a cocoa farmer, and his government’s decision to cut cocoa prices affects him too.
According to John Mahama, he directly understands the economic pressures facing cocoa farmers following the recent volatility in global cocoa prices.
He added, “Nana Kwebu Ewusi gave me 50 acres of land, and I planted cocoa on the 50 acres, so I am a cocoa farmer. So when the price is reduced by the government, it affects me too”.
“I want to be able to empathise with farmers so that when we take any policy decision, we know that it has an effect on farmers and we feel it ourselves. If there is no fertiliser or the price of fertiliser is expensive I feel it myself because I also buy fertiliser”.
President Mahama further revealed that he has acquired another 100 acres of land for oil palm.
“I recently acquired another 100 acres of land, and this time I have dedicated it to oil palm, so we have planted the oil palm”, he added.
Some Ghanaians reacting to Mahama’s jokes stated, “I swear this guy spends more time writing speeches than thinking about fixing our country. This week and last week alone, he has made about 10 speeches. Ei, Ghana, are we serious at all?”
Another X user added, “Mahama dey shake politics with this! If your hands dirty for farm, you go clean Ghana proper. NPP, take notes”.
One more X use wrote, “If nomination comes and God willing, my party is able to nominate me again and I am able to win. Sit in a small car to supervise the areas to send a report to the assembly”.
Meanwhile, Fifi Kwetey, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) General Secretary, has revealed that there will be a ministerial reshuffle of ministers in the John Mahama administration.
According to the NDC General Secretary, from what he is picking up in the corridors of power, there will be a ministerial reshuffle, but he cannot say how soon.
Speaking on TV3 Hot Issues, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey expalined, “It is always important that despite the fact that things have gone on very well in the first year, the president, who is the leader, will always want to see where things can still be done better”.
“A reshuffle is normally done within that context, where you want to see in this particular sector, even though things are okay, it can still do better if I move somebody else to that place or in this place, maybe this one is not too effective in this sector”.
“So I think a reshuffle will be a possibility, and what I pick up from the corridors, yes, we definitely are going to have a reshuffle. I wouldn’t be able to say how soon, but definitely”.
Watch the video below:
“When I’m going to do a reshuffle, the mitigating factor is that you must own a farm” — President @JDMahama jokingly tells appointees as he encourages them to own farms and engage in agriculture.#CitiNewsroom #CitiFM #GhanaNews pic.twitter.com/IvygP4HXUq
— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) February 17, 2026