Investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, paid a courtesy visit to President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House, where they engaged in a candid discussion on governance, accountability, and public sector reforms.
The media personality known for his strong critique of political leadership visited the Jubilee House on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.
Mr. Azure described the opportunity offered him to meet the Stateman as an honour, where they “discussed governance and accountability, and he encouraged me to keep up with my accountability journalism, a job he described as very difficult.”
During the encounter, Mr. Azure commended President Mahama for his decisive action to discontinue the controversial Zoomlion-YEA contract, which had been in place for 19 years.
“I took the opportunity to thank him for the bold decision he took to discontinue the 19-year fraudulent Zoomlion-YEA contract,” he said.
According to him, he further inquired about the status of promised reforms to sanitation management, which, in response, President Mahama confirmed ongoing government efforts to streamline powers to the local governments level.
“A team is working on a document to guide the government’s decision to give the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) the power to manage their sanitation,” Mr. Azure shared in a statement on his Facebook page following the meeting.
The President also addressed changes to the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), highlighting a shift in policy aimed at ensuring equitable distribution of resources.
“His government had decided to ensure the District Assemblies Common Fund is distributed to the assemblies, instead of the money being spent in Accra. In the past, the assemblies got only 43% of the Fund, while the remainder was used for shady procurements and contracts at the DACF in Accra. Of course, a chunk (if not all) of those procurements went to Zoomlion and its subsidiaries.”
Acknowledging the difficulty in reforming entrenched attitudes, President Mahama reportedly emphasized his commitment to resetting Ghana’s trajectory and deepening democratic structures.
“While acknowledging the difficulty in changing the mindset of Ghanaians, including some of his appointees, President Mahama said he was focused on resetting Ghana and helping to strengthen our democracy.”
Mr. Azure expressed his goodwill to the President “I wished him well, and I pray he succeeds. For if he succeeds, Ghana prospers.”
