President John Dramani Mahama has urged Ghanaians to refrain from speaking negatively about the country, saying constant pessimism and a lack of belief in the nation's potential undermine efforts to build a prosperous and united Ghana.

Speaking during a service at the Ringway Gospel Centre of the Assemblies of God Church on Sunday, August 2, President Mahama said Ghana's development depends not only on government policies but also on the attitudes, values and commitment of its citizens.

He expressed concern about what he described as a growing culture of hopelessness among some Ghanaians.

“Our forebears rose because they believed their nation would become great. In many of our societies, people give up and say Ghana will never change. We can never become great,” the President said.

He also criticised suggestions that Ghana would have been better off under colonial rule, describing such views as a rejection of the sacrifices made by the country's founding leaders.

“The worst one is those who say we should even have left the white people to continue to rule us. It shows a lack of faith. It shows a lack of gratitude for the fight that our forebears fought to give us independence, the sacrifices Kwame Nkrumah and his colleagues made, and the vision they had,” he added.

President Mahama further called on Ghanaians to embrace values that promote national development, stressing that building a better Ghana requires honesty, hard work, integrity and a commitment to the common good.

“We must work hard. We must tell the truth. We must be honest. We must reject corruption. We must look after the most vulnerable in our society. And we must have faith in serving the common good,” he said.