Mahama urges Ghanaians to stop speaking negatively about the country

President John Dramani Mahama has called on Ghanaians to refrain from speaking negatively about the country, saying persistent pessimism weakens national development and undermines the sacrifices made by the nation's founding fathers.

Speaking to congregants at the Ringway Gospel Centre Assemblies of God Church on Sunday, August 2, the President said Ghana's progress depends not only on government policies but also on the attitudes, mindset and actions of its citizens.

He expressed concern over what he described as a growing sense of hopelessness among some Ghanaians, who believe the country cannot achieve greatness.

"Our forebears rose because they believed their nation would become great. In many of our societies, people give up and say Ghana will never change. We can never become great," he said.

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President Mahama also criticised remarks suggesting that Ghana would have been better off if it had remained under colonial rule, describing such sentiments as a disregard for the sacrifices of the country's independence heroes.

"The worst one is those who say we should even have left the white people to continue to rule us. It shows a lack of faith. It shows a lack of gratitude for the fight that our forebears fought to give us independence, the sacrifices Kwame Nkrumah and his colleagues made, and the vision they had," he stated.

The President urged citizens to play an active role in nation-building by embracing values that promote unity, accountability and the common good.

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According to him, Ghana's development requires a collective commitment to hard work, honesty and integrity, as well as a firm rejection of corruption.

"We must work hard. We must tell the truth. We must be honest. We must reject corruption. We must look after the most vulnerable in our society. And we must have faith in serving the common good," he said.