Mahama says social media criticism helps him become a better leader
President John Mahama has disclosed that social media platforms, including TikTok, help him pick up public complaints and feedback on government performance, which he forwards to ministers for attention.
He says criticism from citizens, regardless of their political affiliations, is an important tool for improving governance and helping him become a better leader.
Speaking during an engagement with the Ghanaian Community in Moscow, President Mahama said he does not take offence when citizens accuse his administration of heading in the wrong direction, insisting that constructive criticism helps him identify problems and demand answers from his ministers.
"I don't mind if people tell me that I'm leading the country in the wrong direction. I'm trying to do my best. Criticism helps me to do better," he said.
The President disclosed that he sometimes comes across complaints social media and contacts ministers directly to seek explanations about developments in their respective sectors.
"Sometimes I go on the media and I see something, and I call the minister and I say, 'Hey, my friend, what is happening in your sector?'" he recounted.
He assured citizens that their videos and complaints do not go unnoticed.
"So all your TikToks and things, don't think I don't see them. I see them," President Mahama said.
To illustrate how social media feedback informs government action, he cited a complaint about a bridge in the Ashanti Region which had reportedly been affected by illegal mining activities and washed away.
The President said he saw the information on social media and immediately forwarded it to the minister responsible, requesting that the situation be died
According to him, the minister subsequently visited the location and reported that a blocked channel was contributing to the problem, with an excavator being deployed to clear it and allow water to flow.
"That is how you solve some of these things," he said. President Mahama believes the growing influence of new media presents an opportunity for government to receive information directly from citizens and respond to challenges as they emerge.
"The new media is an advantage because it gives us information in real time," he added.
He urged citizens to speak up whenever they identify warning signs in the country's governance, stressing that holding leaders accountable should transcend partisan political considerations.
"The more we see the danger signs that somebody is leading us the wrong way, we must, all of us, not based on partisan leanings, all of us must say no, we're not going in the right direction," he said.
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