John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has raised deep concerns over the disillusionment felt by Ghana’s youth, citing the country’s democratic system as a primary factor in the lack of economic and social opportunities.
Former President Mahama delivering a speech at the 80th-anniversary celebration of the St. Joseph the Worker Anglican Church in Accra shed light on a growing crisis of confidence among young Ghanaians.
According to Mahama, the economic hardship and political discontent experienced by the youth have left them feeling abandoned by the very system meant to support them.
He added that this discontent has gone so far as to inspire calls for military intervention as a potential solution to stabilise the economy and improve governance.
While the NDC’s flagbearer said the suffering of the people is the reason for the calls for the military’s intervention, he was quick to clarify that he does not support such a solution, he nonetheless acknowledged that the cries for drastic change reflect a broader frustration with the lack of opportunities and the diminishing hope for a better future under the current democratic setup.
In his address, Mahama emphasised that Ghana’s democracy, once a beacon of hope and development, is now failing to deliver for the youth, leading to a troubling shift in perceptions.
Mahama explained that this sentiment is reflective of a more widespread crisis in which faith in democracy itself is waning, fueled by the struggles faced by Ghanaians as they try to navigate a stagnant economy and a political system that they feel does not represent them.
“Our democracy is in crisis. You speak to many of our young people and they say they don’t have any faith in democratic governance anymore. Indeed, some of them even say, I don’t see why the soldiers don’t come and take over and govern the country and it is because our faith in our democracy is going down and down.
“And that is because our democratic practice is not creating enough opportunity for our young people. And so we need a renewal, we need a reset, we need a restart. Our economy is in crisis, that one I don’t need to tell you. And when you see your size of Kenkey shrinking, you know that there is a crisis.”
