Deputy Education Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said that ECOWAS leaders begged President John Dramani Mahama to lead the regional body for a second term.

The “unanimous” decision by the ECOWAS leaders to retain the Ghanaian leader as chair even before his first term is complete, Mr. Ablakwa stated, is because of his exemplary leadership and his commitment to working hard to better the lives of citizens of ECOWAS countries.

Mr. Ato Sarpong, (left), Mr.Felix Kwakye Ofosu, both Deputy Ministers of Communications.

ECOWAS Heads of State and Government at a summit last week in Abuja, extended to May 2015, the chairmanship tenure of Ghana's president.

Addressing a gathering to mark the last in this series of Regional Public fora, dubbed Government for the people (G4P) Forum at the Accra International Conference Centre Thursday, December 18, 2014, the Deputy Minister claimed, some of the delegates implored Ghana’s President to accept the offer.

“…last week the ECOWAS Heads of State in Abuja extended the term of President John Dramani Mahama unanimously; they actually were begging [and] I hear some of them almost wanted to go on their knees to get him to accept to serve another term,” Mr. Ablakwa told an animated audience.

It is the belief of the Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency that, just as the Heads of State in the ECOWAS region reposed their confidence in Mr. Mahama and gave him another term in office, the Ghanaian electorate will do same by re-electing him in 2016.

“I have no doubt that because of all those good works going on in education and many other sectors, the good people of this country will extend the term once more in Ghana for President John Dramani Mahama,” he indicated.

He urged Ghanaians to “continue to put our shoulders to the wheel so that Ghana will be that paradise we want it to be.”

Past leaders

President Mahama is not the only Ghanaian leader to have had the opportunity to serve as ECOWAS Chair for two consecutive terms - Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor both served two successive terms as ECOWAS Chairpersons during their tenure as president.

Former President Rawlings is credited with helping to restore stability to Liberia when in August 1994 he became the ECOWAS Chairman, facilitating the signing of the Akosombo Agreement and the Accra Clarification. Jerry John Rawlings was elected for a second term as ECOWAS Chairman at the 18th ECOWAS Summit in July 1995.

His successor, John Agyekum Kufuor served as Chairman of the regional grouping for two consecutive terms – 2003 and 2004 and went on to be elected on 29 January 2007, as Chairperson of the African Union for the 2007–08 AU session.