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It has now been 120 days since His Excellency John Dramani Mahama took the oath of allegiance and the presidential oath, officially assuming office as the sixth President of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
His administration, which pledged to reset all sectors of the country, entered office with high public expectations—especially following the historic and overwhelming mandate he received during the 2024 presidential election.
Ahead of the polls, President Mahama unveiled an ambitious plan to deliver key reforms and initiatives within his first 120 days.
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To drive these objectives, a 19-member taskforce chaired by Senior Presidential Advisor Dr Valerie Sawyerr was inaugurated on 11 February.
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With bated breath, Ghanaians watched as the government raced against time to honour these pledges.
Today, Wednesday, 7 May 2025, Pulse News presents a brief assessment of the administration’s 120-day social contract, highlighting both the fulfilled and outstanding promises.
Promises Fulfilled
Nominate Cabinet Ministers within 14 days – All cabinet members were named within the stipulated timeline.
Constitute the leanest and most efficient government in the Fourth Republic within 90 days.
Establish a Code of Conduct and Standards for government officials – Launched by the President on 5 May.
Host a National Economic Dialogue – Held on 3–4 March to evaluate the economy and guide fiscal policy.
Scrap burdensome taxes – The 2025 budget abolished the E-levy, 10% betting levy, and Emissions Levy.
Establish the Accelerated Export Development Council (AEDC) – A 19-member council was inaugurated on 6 May.
Convene a national education consultative forum – Launched on 18 February.
Implement ‘No Academic Fee’ policy for first-year students in public tertiary institutions – Portal launched on 29 April.
Introduce Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities and the Ghana Medical Care Trust (MahamaCares) Fund – MahamaCares was launched on 29 April.
Commence free sanitary pad distribution in schools – National programme launched in Accra on 24 April.
Ban political appointees from purchasing state assets.
Allocate seed funding for the Women’s Development Bank – GHS 51 million announced in the 2025 budget.
Launch job creation initiatives in the 2025 budget – ‘Adwumawura’, ‘National Apprenticeship’, and ‘One Million Coders’ launched.
Ban illegal mining in forest reserves and roll out environmental recovery programmes – 'Water Guard' initiatives launched; however, LI 2462 is yet to be repealed.
Launch ‘The Black Star Experience’ to promote arts, culture and tourism.
Reopen investigations into unresolved crimes – Includes the 2020 election killings, Ahmed Suale’s murder, and others.
Initiate a probe into the Akosombo and Kpong Dam spillage disaster – A five-member committee was set up in March.
Begin flood victim compensation – GHS 242.5 million allocation announced in the 2025 budget.
Restructure loss-making SOEs – Several CEOs and board members replaced.
Outstanding Promises
Review taxes on industrial and agricultural imports – Yet to be implemented.
Begin legal amendments for the 24-Hour Economy Policy – Framework yet to be presented to Parliament.
Launch inquiries/forensic audits into matters of public interest – Ongoing cases being handled by relevant agencies, but no conclusive directive on audits.
Review Customs (Amendment) Act 2020 to lift ban on salvaged vehicle imports.
Table a new scholarship bill to end political interference and cronyism in scholarship awards.
Purge state security agencies of militia and vigilante elements.
Rating: 76%
Reactions to the 120-Day Milestone
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Renowned economist and former GIMPA Rector, Professor Stephen Adei, has lauded President Mahama’s progress, stating that the administration has made commendable strides in delivering on its promises.
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Similarly, investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni described the 120 days as "a return of Ghana’s democracy."
However, public debate continues over the pace, substance, and scope of President Mahama’s performance so far.