A Ghanaian resident in the United Kingdom, Ade Sawyerr, has called on President John Mahama to encourage his ministers to spend more time interacting with their constituents rather than appearing at social events that frequently circulate on TikTok and other social media platforms.

Speaking during a town hall meeting with the President in London on Sunday, May 31, Sawyerr said the growing number of videos showing ministers at parties and social gatherings creates an impression that government officials are detached from the everyday concerns of ordinary Ghanaians.

He urged the President to ensure that members of his administration dedicate more time, particularly at weekends, to engaging directly with people in their constituencies and listening to their concerns.

“Every weekend, we see on TikTok the ministers at parties instead of being with their constituents. They are talking to each other, blowing time. It does not look good, Mr President. Please tell them that at weekends, they should go back to their constituents and find out what it is that the people of Ghana need,” he said.

Sawyerr acknowledged that government officials had presented encouraging economic indicators during the engagement but stressed that public perception of their conduct remained equally important.

“I’ve listened to some of the ministers, and whilst it looks like the metrics are going in the right direction, the optics do not look very good,” he stated.

He also pointed to Accra’s recurring flooding challenges as an example of a longstanding issue that requires more attention and direct engagement from public officials.

“Every year, there’s perennial flooding. We have not been able to solve that problem in the city of Accra, our main city,” he added.

The UK-based Ghanaian nevertheless commended the Ghana High Commission in London for organising the town hall meeting, describing it as an important platform for members of the diaspora to engage directly with President Mahama and discuss national issues.