2014: Year of hope - President
Pressident Mahama has assured Ghanaians that 2014 will mark the beginning of many good things for Ghana.
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He said the urban transport network, maritime and port development, aviation, energy, manufacturing and business sectors would witness significant development in 2014.
Delivering his new year message to Ghanaians Wednesday night on Ghana Television (GTV), President Mahama said "I am proud as your President to have the honour to lead our country into this new era of prosperity and opportunity.
"As a people we can achieve this if only the government and citizens would work as a partnership to bring to reality our common vision of a great nation," he said.
Prophecy
Expressing his belief in the prophetic word that 2014 would signal the beginning of many good things for Ghana, the President urged Ghanaians to claim that prophesy not only in their prayers and thoughts, but also in their attitude and actions.
"I pledge to provide the dedicated leadership required and I call on all Ghanaians, no matter your status- civil servants, farmers, doctors, teachers, nurses, market women, masons- to join me in thinking and working for Ghana," he demanded of all.
President Mahama said as Ghanaians entered a new year, they must thank God for the bountiful blessing He continued to shower on the nation despite the challenges they were confronted with in the past year.
"We must enter the coming year with hope, confidence and a determination to make our country live up to the promise of our founding fathers; a nation in which we can share in the prosperity and opportunities offered, so all our people can realise their full potential," he said.
2013 - a challenging year
The President said that 2013 was a challenging year for all Ghanaians since it tested the resolve of the country to be united and continued to work for the prosperity of the people.
He also said Ghanaians did not only weather the storm but they also emerged with their credentials intact as the model of democratic governance on the continent of Africa.
"Notwithstanding the storms we faced, we worked to push through important reforms in public financial management and economic policy," he said.
Besides, he said, the government worked hard to move forward many infrastructural projects that were critical to the nation's transition from a lower middle-income status into a full-blown middle-income country.
Partnership and nationalism
President Mahama said the government was ready to enter partnership with labour, the business community, youth, persons with disability, marginalised groups and all our citizens and international friends.
He added that members of the Council of State were right when they expressed concern about the diminished sense of nationalism and patriotism in the country, and indicated that the decline made social and political mobilisation difficult.
"As President, I pledge to work to restore the confidence and trust of our people so we can all have a significant stake in this dear nation of ours," he assured.
The President asked all Ghanaians to join in ‘thinking and working for Ghana’, and stressed that "In this way we can build a nation of boundless opportunities for all our citizens."
Black Stars
President Mahama congratulated the Black Stars on qualifying for Brazil 2014.
"Our gallant Stars have risen to the occasion again and again; even in times when we have doubted their ability to overcome the odds," he said.
While recognising that the Black Stars were in a formidable group, the President said "the Black Stars are a formidable team too", and made reference to the adage: “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.”
He expressed optimism that once again the Stars would shine in Brazil and make Ghana proud.
Wishes
On behalf of himself and his wife, Lordina, President Mahama wished all Ghanaians a happy and a prosperous new year.