President John Dramani Mahama has assured Ghanaians that he pays attention to public criticism, including complaints and videos shared on social media, stressing that such feedback helps him identify problems and hold his ministers accountable.
Speaking during an engagement with the Ghanaian community in Moscow, the President said he does not take offence when citizens accuse his government of taking the country in the wrong direction, adding that criticism helps him improve his leadership.
He explained that he sometimes comes across public complaints in the media and uses them as an opportunity to seek answers from ministers responsible for the issues raised.
According to him, he personally contacts the ministers involved to find out what is happening in their respective sectors and, where necessary, urges them to take action.
“I don’t mind if people tell me I am leading the country in the wrong direction because I am trying to do my best. Criticism helps me to do better. So when people criticise me and say this is not right, I am not offended,” he said.
Mr Mahama further encouraged Ghanaians who use social media to raise concerns about developments in their communities not to assume that their messages go unnoticed by the Presidency.
“So all your TikToks and things, don’t think I don’t see them. I see them,” he said.
To demonstrate how such feedback can influence government action, the President cited the case of a bridge in the Ashanti Region that had reportedly been washed away following illegal mining activities.
He said he came across a post about the situation on social media and immediately forwarded it to the minister responsible, asking that the matter be investigated.
The minister subsequently visited the area and informed him that a blocked channel was contributing to the problem. An excavator was then deployed to clear the channel and restore the flow of water.
“That is how you solve some of these things,” President Mahama said.
He described the growing influence of social media and other digital platforms as an advantage for his administration, noting that they provide government with direct access to information from citizens and allow concerns to be identified in real time.
“The new media is an advantage because it gives us information in real time,” he added.
