First 5 months have been a turbulent baptism of fire - Mahama

Ghana’s President, John Mahama has described his first five months in office as a “turbulent baptism of fire”.

President Mahama told the BBC’s Focus on Africa on Wednesday May 29, 2013 that: “It’s been quite turbulent”, noting that: “after elections most governments enjoy a honey moon so that they have the peace to put in place the government and structures that are going to conduct affairs for the next four years [but] unfortunately it’s not been the case with us”.

The Ghanaian President’s first 100 days were for instance, fraught with a streak of strikes by agitating labour unions.

They include public sector Doctors who were up in arms with the Government in demand for the payment of their market premium arrears and conversion differences, as well as the correction of anomalies in their pension contributions.

The Government Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) also went on strike in demand for the payment of its members’ interim market premium arrears.

Still with the medical fraternity, the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA) also threatened a strike.

Similarly, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) as well as the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) all went on strike at different times for different reasons.

Also, the Ashanti regional branch of the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG), threatened a strike if its members’ category 2 and 3 allowances were not paid as well as their conditions of service which, they said had expired for the past seven years, was not renegotiated.

Besides the industrial actions, the country had been plagued by severe water and power crises which led to the rationing of utilities.

President Mahama, who is on a three-day official visit to France told the BBC from Paris that: “We had an energy crisis that started last year; it is one of the issues that attracted my complete attention”.

Asked what he made of criticisms that his government was not up to the task due to the litany of crises that confronted his administration from the outset, Mr. Mahama said: “...The fact that we’ve even survived this period is a credit to the Government”.

He explained that the challenges related to the implementation of the country’s single spine salary structure which were the main causes of the numerous labour agitations were being addressed.

“Its created some distortions between relative groups of professionals and we are dialoguing with the professionals groups and making sure that they understand that we have a responsibility to maintain the integrity of the budget, but at the same time, we will see what can be done in their individual cases”.