On Friday, December 20, 2024, President-Elect John Dramani Mahama had a courtesy call at his private office from a delegation headed by Alan Kyerematen, the leader of the Afrafranto Alliance.
Collaboration
Following an earlier press statement from Alan Kyerematen congratulating Mahama on his victory, the goal of this visit was to personally introduce the whole ARC to him in order to congratulate him and encourage a collaborative approach to national development.
The exchange demonstrated mutual respect and a shared commitment to Ghana’s progress. Alan Kyerematen emphasized in his speech the two governance-related issues that are crucial to the Afrafranto Alliance.
His first speech was in support of a government of national unity, which seeks to curb excessive partisanship, the practice of abandoning government projects, as well as the disregard for talent.
Economy
Mr. Kyerematen’s second tenet was the necessity of switching from IMF interventions to Great Transformation Plan (GTP)-based sustainable development. Alan advised President-Elect Mahama to put fixing the macroeconomic environment first and underlined the need to put aside partisanship.
He suggested making investments in the real estate sector to create jobs, additionally in the areas of industrialization, agriculture, and tourism. A strong effort against corruption and illicit mining was also demanded by him (GALAMSEY). Alan Kyerematen was praised by John Mahama in response, who called him a political heavyweight who takes a progressive stance on national issues. Although the internal politics inside the ruling NPP caused Alan to leave, the president-elect apologized and wished the party well.
He also acknowledged the revolutionary potential of the NDC and emphasized how it shares goals with the GTP. “Any ideas taken from the GTP will be attributed to Alan”, Mr. Mahama said bluntly.
Illegal Mining
Regarding the crucial topic of galamsey, Mr Mahama acknowledged the presence of strong laws and regulations but drew attention to the difficulties in putting them into practice. Political meddling has exacerbated the situation, he stressed, making it more challenging to address successfully. Both politicians agreed that, given galamsey’s serious negative effects on the environment and the economy, real and ongoing measures are desperately needed to eradicate it.
Conclusion
The gathering was an uncommon instance of political cooperation and politeness. As the former president recognized that Ghana’s prosperity must transcend partisan boundaries, he found resonance in Alan Kyerematen’s concept of promoting unity via constructive participation. The two leaders discussed how to work together and be inclusive in tackling the nation’s urgent issues. A copy of Alan Kyerematen’s Great Transformational Plan (GTP) was given to Mahama as a sign of collaboration and mutual commitment. In order to promote national progress, this gesture showed a readiness to share creative ideas and knowledge. In order to address Ghana’s socioeconomic problems, Alan said he hoped the GTP would spur cooperation.
