Cynicism is a threat to our growing democracy and if not carefully addressed could degenerate into extreme partisanship which is no better than dictatorship, outgoing President John Mahama has observed.

Delivering his last State of the Nation address in Parliament Thursday morning, President Mahama said the wellbeing of the nation should supersede blind partisanship that has taken a toll on morale and sense of optimism of Ghanaians.

"We cannot afford as a nation to wish or hope for the failure of any president and his or her government. Ensuring accountability is not the same as levelling insults or encouraging apathy, he said urging the incoming government to take note of the creeping monster.

"Partisanship for its own sake, in the end, is no better than dictatorship. If we look around the world, we can so clearly see the deep divide that blind partisanship is creating in nations with democracies far older than ours."

"Political opposition and differences of opinion are vital to the health and growth of a democracy. Political parties are formed when people of similar ideology come together to move their agenda forward in a way that best serves their country," he said.

President Mahama whose tenure ends on January 7th, 2017 implored the incoming government led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to continue  infrastructure projects that were initiated and still ongoing by his government.

"As I have said many times already, regardless of whose tenure in which these visions come to fruition, its success belongs to Ghana. They belong to all of us," he stated.

Despite losing the elections, he reiterated his belief that his government has performed creditably well and said: "I will allow history to be the judge of how I have served our nation, how well I have done my part in running my lap of the relay. What that verdict will ultimately be, I cannot say. I can only say that I have done my best, given my all and done so with the best intentions for my country, our country."

"This is why I stand here today, Mr. Speaker, holding the baton of leadership prepared to pass it on with pride, goodwill and determination, to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and ask all Ghanaians to cheer him on as he runs his portion of this relay for Ghana”, he stated

Source; graphic.com