The Chief Executive Officer of the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjoe, has cautioned President John Dramani Mahama that 2026 will be a decisive year for his administration, urging him to restructure ministerial responsibilities to safeguard fiscal discipline and effective projects delivery.

Cudjoe specifically appealed to the president to relieve Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson of his additional duties as Minister of Defence, arguing that the scale of upcoming government projects requires the finance minister’s undivided attention.

In a Facebook post on January 1, 2026, the policy analyst acknowledged what he described as a promising start by President Mahama but stressed that the period of goodwill was over, with tougher governance tests ahead.

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“Now, though the honeymoon is truly over. 2026 is a crucial year for the rollout of some of your Big Push projects with significant budgets. Please free Finance Minister Ato Forson from the additional duty as Defence Minister so he can focus and continue being fiscally disciplined,” Cudjoe indicated.

He further proposed the establishment of an Administrator or Assessor-General within the civil service to supervise government projects, conduct risk analysis and ensure value for money, while closing loopholes that often enable corruption.

Cudjoe also called for a stronger and more empowered Cabinet Office to improve coordination, oversight and accountability among ministries, departments, and agencies.

Reflecting on governance challenges under the previous administration, he warned against reactive anti-corruption measures, arguing instead for preventive systems.

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“We do not want to spend time and money setting up another ORAL after your tenure. We are already suffocating from the organised loot and heist under the last guy,” he cautioned.

Despite the warning, he expressed confidence in the calibre of many of President Mahama’s appointees, noting that with the right institutional safeguards, losses through waste and corruption could be significantly reduced.

Cudjoe also singled out the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, for praise, describing him as efficient and urging that similar standards be entrenched across the Presidency.

He assured the president that Civil Society Organisations and citizens would remain vigilant, monitoring the execution of government projects to prevent a repeat of inefficiencies and financial losses experienced in the past.

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Meanwhile, watch some 2026 prophecies by Apostle Dr Isaac Owusu Bempah below: