Ofoase-Ayirebi Member of Parliament and former Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has offered prayers for God’s blessings and long life for President John Dramani Mahama, following the latter’s recent acknowledgement of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on Ghana’s economy.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM, Mr Oppong Nkrumah recalled that ahead of the 2024 general elections, the then-opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) rejected assertions by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that Ghana’s economic challenges were largely influenced by global shocks — including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
“God bless President Mahama and grant him long life for speaking the truth. Before the elections, he and his team insisted our difficulties were due to mismanagement. They even mocked us on social media, nicknaming Dr Bawumia as ‘Bawuliar.’ Today, he goes to the United Nations to admit that COVID-19 has derailed the global economy for 20 years.”
Mr Oppong Nkrumah stated.
The MP described the President’s recent statement as a major U-turn, noting that during the 2024 campaign, the NDC consistently argued that Ghanaians’ economic hardships stemmed solely from poor leadership rather than external crises.
“Their main argument was not about the management of COVID-19 funds, but that the hardships were caused by mismanagement. Now he admits COVID played a major role. Unfortunately, it’s too late because they secured power on the back of propaganda.”
He added.
During the 2024 campaign season, the NPP repeatedly cited the pandemic and other global economic disruptions as key factors behind Ghana’s fiscal struggles, while the NDC maintained that corruption and reckless spending were to blame.
At the time, former President Mahama downplayed global factors, famously remarking that “the Russia bomb is not close to Ghana,” implying that the nation’s economic woes were self-inflicted.
However, in his recent address at the United Nations, President Mahama acknowledged that the effects of COVID-19 will continue to disrupt global economies for the next two decades, a statement that has reignited political debate at home.
For Oppong Nkrumah, the development is significant — not just for its political implications, but for the truth it represents.
“This shows Ghanaians have a short memory, just as he once said. But at least, by God’s grace, he has lived to set the record straight — even if it comes after winning power,”
he concluded.
