President John Dramani Mahama has once again bemoaned that his government inherited a country that was sick and with governance in tatters.
Mahama detailed that he was confronted with a deeply troubled nation, characterised by a fragile economy and a governance system on the brink of collapse.
Speaking during his official three-day state visit to Zambia, President Mahama made these remarks when he met Ghanaians living in Zambia.
President Mahama, in addressing the gathering, explained that Ghana was grappling with severe economic difficulties, alongside widespread problems across key sectors such as health, education, and agriculture.
He added that the situation was further compounded by the country’s debt distress.
President Mahama stated, “We inherited a country that was sick. The economy was in crisis, and governance was in tatters. We had so many issues in health, education, and agriculture, and most of all, we had defaulted on our debt. Our debt-to-GDP ratio had risen above 100%, and nobody wanted to lend to Ghana again.
“So we fought the election, and we said our objective was to win power and reset Ghana in all sectors, and I likened it to resetting a computer to work properly again.”
In related news, the Government of Ghana has announced a landmark visa waiver agreement between Ghana and Zambia.
The visa waiver agreement allows citizens of both countries to travel between the two nations without the requirement of visas.
Speaking to members of the press on the sidelines of the visit, Ablakwa stated, “We have also ensured that as a ministry, we are prioritising your smooth mobility and one of the major outcomes of this state visit, which you will hear President [John Dramani] Mahama talk about, is that for the first time in the history of Ghana-Zambia relations, we are going to have a free visa between our two countries so you no longer have to stress about visas.
“So we are going to have a visa waiver agreement. And it is one of the conditions that President Mahama gave us for this visit. He said, Foreign Minister, if you don’t make this happen, don’t join me on this visit.”
In related news, President John Dramani Mahama has said Ghana has said his government have been shocked and surprised at the quick turnaround of Ghana’s economy.
According to President Mahama, in his imagination, he thought Ghana’s economy would need about two years for Ghanaians to begin to see a turnaround.
Mahama noted that Ghana has become a poster child for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
He highlighted that anytime he meets the IMF officials and the World Bank Officials they do not believe what has happened in Ghana.
President Mahama noted that Ghana’s progress in the last year has received international recognition and admiration from other African countries, which are now studying Ghana’s policy choices.
He further detailed his government bringing inflation down from 23.8 per cent to 5.4 per cent within a year, and seeing the cedi appreciate by 37 per cent in the same period.
Watch the video below:
"We inherited a country that was sick; the economy was in crisis, governance was in tatters … Ghana was almost becoming a basket case." – President John Dramani Mahama on his visit to Zambia #3NewsGH #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/G5ABuLP6pD
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) February 4, 2026