Download PDF - Institute of Economic Affairs Ghana

policy on that And then we are all aware that on our public
boards and commissions we don't normally have women chairing
or taking leadership position, how do you intend to do that
Dr. Mahama:
I have already said at the beginning that I am going to practice
leadership by example so I will do what I think is right to do;
appoint 50% women to the cabinet. If they perform and
everybody sees that these women who have been appointed have
performed very well, and there is reason to believe that if it is not a
law some other party or some other President may go back on it,
then we can put it in law. But I think I am going to lead by example
so I will do what I say is good and that is why I say it will not be “do
as I say but not as I do” but it will be” do as I say and do”.
Kweku Sakyi-Addo:
Dr Mahama, there is a Constitutional provision that requires the
President to appoint 50% of his or her cabinet from Parliament.
So if there aren't enough women in Parliament how do you have
half of your cabinet as women
Dr. Mahama:
Then you appoint 50% of the men from Parliament and then you
appoint 50% of the women outside Parliament to get your 50%.
Mr Kwame Gyasi, Business School, Legon and Columnist of the
Spectator:
Dr Mahama I was very happy when you didn't spend too much
time on economic issues and you dwelled on social factors
because I believe the problems of this country are social -
corruption, indiscipline, managerial incompetence, and above all
negative mass scale of leadership from the castle level to the
family level.
Now about oil, you made a passing comment on oil. I want you to
think a little bit more about that because I am worried. The
19
colonialists left us a castle constructed on a rocky beach and we
couldn't manage it. How do we manage an engineering miracle on
the high seas in a turbulent state
Dr. Mahama:
Well, I did not define the borders of Ghana. God who gave it to us
knows that we can manage it, so we will manage. But on a more
serious note the way to manage it now is what we are doing. I am
very glad that people are talking about it. I met a gentleman from
the Western Region who said they were going for a meeting at
Mpohor Wassa. They are already talking about the oil down on the
coast of Western Region. It is good; I was telling him, “Look we
must not create another Niger Delta here in Ghana”. The people
nearest must have some advantage.
I have talked to some of the people causing problems in the Niger
Delta. When you have listened to them, you can't but agree that
they have the right to protest. We shouldn't let that repeat itself
here.
Dr . Rose Mensah Kutin, NETRIGHT:
Dr Mahama, you are seeking to get the mandate of the citizens of
this country and you have demonstrated your readiness to do this
by showing us your manifesto. You have also referred to yourself
as a democrat and therefore it is important for us to think through
some of the main outstanding questions that need to be addressed
as far as the democratic experiment we as a people have chosen to
pursue as the path for our development. So I want you to tell us
specifically what these critical issues are and how you will go
about addressing them
Dr. Mahama:
One issue that comes to mind is the issue of “winner-takes-all”.
We've seen that the problems in Zimbabwe and Kenya and other
parts of Africa are because of this attitude. I can promise you that
the PNC administration will not say ”we have won therefore you
20