A popular Qatari based newspaper, The Peninsula, has in a latest publication described the President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama as a man who is friendly and with good sense of humour.

The newspaper, which was profiling John Mahama in the run up to the December 7 election, stated that though he is the man of the people, he is forced into the "back foot by his country's lackluster growth".

The article added that, the corruption allegations that have plagued his government has not deterred him in anyway from bringing development to his country.

An Affable statesman as he was described in the article, continued to work to stay above the fray with his slogan,  "Putting people first."

"The saying goes that when the going gets tough, the tough get going," a smiling Mahama said in a November interview. the peninsula stated.

President Mahama's government has been faced with a number of criticism from people within and without his party including founder of the party and ex president of the country, Jerry John Rawlings who described his ministers as "babies with sharp teeth".

It added that," the global commodity rout hurt Ghana -- a global exporter of oil, gold and cocoa -- but the ballooning debt made things much worse.

With stuttering electricity, double-digit inflation and a depreciating cedi, this West African nation was forced to turn to the International Monetary Fund for help". the newspaper stated

By: Farida Mohammed/ghanaguardian.com