President Mahama had an active first few days in the hot seat. Reminiscent of President Trump, who became president for the second time earlier this week, President Mahama issued a flurry of policy pronouncements on corruption, constitutional reform, and other important matters.

He publicly encouraged the investigation of the national cathedral controversy to see if monies were inappropriately employed during its non-building between 2017 and 2025.

President Mahama’s promise, made during the election campaign, regarding state subsidy for Muslims wishing to undertake the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, was controversial.

It appears that Ghana cannot afford such a subsidy. This means that Ghana’s Muslims would have to pay themselves to undertake the costs of the hajj – in the region of $6,000 – which, incidentally, is in line with what fellow Muslims in neighbouring West African countries pay.

President Mahama is intent on hitting the ground running during his second time as president. Also like President Trump, President Mahama has just one – four-year – term to leave his mark on Ghana, leaving a legacy of which he can be proud.

Unlike President Trump who gained the votes of most of the USA’s committee Christians, it is unclear the extent to which voters in Ghana chose to vote for John Dramani Mahama because of, or despite, his religion.

Of course, voters are not asked about their religion when casting their ballot and, to my knowledge, no serious research has been done to ascertain the voting preferences of Ghanaians according to religious affiliation.

It may be that Muslims voted for the NPP’s Mahamudu Bawumia because of his religious faith, while Christians, including Ghana’s ubiquitous Pentecostals and Charismatics, might have preferred John Dramani Mahama of the NDC, a senior member of the Assemblies of God Church.

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