John Dramani Mahama, former President of the Republic, is questioning whether the government will reopen negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following the breakdown of stalled negotiations with international bondholders.
Government is having difficulties in negotiating with its external creditors for its third tranche of the IMF facility as the Finance Minister has noted the negotiations with bondholders must meet the Fund’s sustainability levels.
The situation is what John Mahama has described as a “bad news for Ghana” since the IMF has indicated that the country’s recent negotiation is not enough to pay off its debts.
Speaking as part of his ‘Building Ghana Tour’ at Nalerigu in the East Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, John Mahama said “today I saw on news that negotiations with the international bondholders has collapsed and that is very bad news for Ghana because are we going to reopen the negotiations and IMF say the agreement or what they were negotiating is not even enough to be able to alleviate Ghana’s debt. That whatever was being negotiated is not enough to extricate us from the death trap. so it shows how serious whatever has happened is going to affect this country into the future.”
At the gathering, the NDC flag bearer assured Ghanaians of his administration’s quest to ensure whoever has caused any misfortune in the country accounts for it.
He has asked Ghanaians not to term the NDC’s quest for accountability as witch-hunt, but rather a right for the people whose lives have been messed up by the current administration to get justice.
John Mahama said although the Akufo-Addo-led administration does not want to stand trial, Ghanaians will hold them accountable.
“They don’t want to be held accountable but I can assure them that the people of Ghana will hold them accountable for what they have done. We are not going to witch-haunt anybody but if you have messed up the lives of the people of Ghana and you have misappropriated their money, you will account for it,” he assured.
He assured the gathering of his resolve to put the investigative and anti-corruption institutions to work in bringing perpetrators of corruption and corruption-related activities to book.
The former President charged the youth to recognise the harm that has been inflicted on their lives by duty bearers for mortgaging their future.
“And so the investigative and anti-corruption institutions are going to work. If you have crossed the line and you are part of the problems and the hardships that have been inflicted over Ghanaians over the last seven years, you must account for it. So, the youth of this country, you must recognise the harm that has inflicted on you. Many of us are senior citizens now, how many years do we have to live? Look at the kind of mortgage of your future that has been done,” he admonished.
