CONGRATULATIONS TO H. E. JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA ON HIS AFRICA POLITICAL LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD*

*NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS*
*CENTRAL REGIONAL BRANCH*

*Press Release*
*Cape Coast*
*26th February, 2017*

*CONGRATULATIONS TO H. E. JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA ON HIS AFRICA POLITICAL LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD*

The Central Regional Membership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) wishes to congratulate President John Dramani Mahama on his award as the African Political Leader of the year 2016 by the African Leadership Magazine (ALM) on Thursday 23rd February, 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

As a visionary and a transformational Leader, Good governance, Transparency and Accountability were major planks on which your agenda for Transformation was hinged. These propelled Ghana to continue to perform impressively in global rankings in all major governance indicators -human rights, transparency, rule of law, media that operated in a very free and open environment, strengthening of State institutions- This award appropriately reflects the endless sacrifices and commitment spent towards enriching and deepening Ghana’s democratic strides through your unparalleled leadership qualities and skills, which has carved a new and a better path of transformations for Ghana, the Sub-Region and the Continent.

During your tenure as the President of Ghana, Chairman of ECOWAS and Co-Chair of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), you discharged your duties creditably to the admiration of all which still attracts tremendous Global commendation. The Board, management and organizers of the ALM Person of the Year Awards got it all right when they stated that your historic recognition was in fact partly due *to your towering status as one of Africa’s best*. The Continent as well as CR-NDC agrees with them because the world, Africa and Ghana will always remember many of these monumental achievements, particularly when you led efforts at the global level to end the spell of international isolation suffered by *Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone* who were ravaged by the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus disease in 2014. The instrumental role you so much played in restoring *peace and stability* to *Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau* and other trouble spots on the African continent, including his efforts to mobilise international support for the response to the scourge of Boko Haram in *Nigeria*.

We wholeheartedly congratulate you, H.E John Dramani Mahama again for receiving the Georgia Congressional Commendation from the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus during the same event and this also speaks volumes of how Ghanaians and Africans in the Diaspora hold you in high esteem particularly for your *principled and important stance* on world issues that saw the USA and Cuba took steps to normalise relations between the two Countries which was an important step of discarding the relics of the cold war represented by the economic blockade of Cuba as well as touching the seemingly intractable issue of Palestine on the world stage without offending the main actors. Under your tenure, various state institutions were strengthened to intensify the fight against corruption in order to safeguard the public purse and this has been observed by all governance watchers the world over.

With these prestigious awards, we are inspired to give our all in the development of our beautiful country and of the hope that you will continue to offer your invaluable and selfless assistance to ECOWAS, AU and the UN when the need arises.

*GOD BLESS OUR HOMELAND GHANA*

Signed
*Kwesi Dawood*
*Reg. Comm. Officer*