Former UN Senior Government Advisor, Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has joined the many who have commended President Mahama for his bold speech on Thursday, 25 September at the 80th United Nations General Assembly currently underway.

He challenged the UN to make reforms and review its policies to suit the evolving world, calling its representation outdated. It was unfair for veto power to be a reserve of just five countries, he stressed in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, USA.

In reaction to this, the Professor, during an interview with Joy News on 29 September, shortly after the General Debate concluded, lauded President Mahama’s speech and posture at the Assembly as that of legendary African post-independence leaders like former president Kwame Nkrumah and Nyerere.

He described President John Mahama’s speech at the United Nations as the boldest from an African leader in a very long time.

Prof Agyeman-Duah said it was the first time in many years that he had heard an African leader address critical issues at the UN without fear.

“When I heard the President’s speech, it reminded me of the early post-independence era when our leaders, Nyerere and Nkrumah, went to the UN and made our case for the world to listen to us,” he said.

He explained that African leaders have, for too long, been timid. He suggested that this timidity was either due to fear or dependence on foreign powers. “Our hands are in their mouth, so don’t bite them hard,” he said.

Prof Agyeman-Duah continued that the silence that has been forced on African leaders by these global powers due to Africa’s overdependence and reliance on them has finally been cut through by President Mahama. He said he was impressed when Mahama declared that if something looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like one, then it is indeed a duck.

“That really impressed me,” he said.

He pointed to Mahama’s stance on immigration, where he spoke against the way Western countries treat Africans.

Former Finance Minister Dr Mohammed Amin Adam also applauded President John Dramani Mahama for what he described as an “impressive and commendable” speech delivery at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Thursday, September 25.

Taking to his official Facebook page, the Member of Parliament for Karaga lauded the president’s bold articulation of perspectives, highlighting pressing global issues and calls for long-standing traditions which needed to be reviewed.

“President Mahama's address at the 80th United Nations General Assembly was truly commendable, particularly his insights on pressing global issues such as immigration, financing for development, the Middle East conflict, and climate change. His eloquent delivery and thought-provoking perspectives showcased his leadership capabilities on the international stage”, he said.

According to him, the impressive will go a long way however, the realities of his talk should reflect in his policies in Ghana, galamsey and free speech should be dealt with among other national development concerns which should be duly addressed by the president and his government.

“It's important how such well articulated vision and approach to international development translate to national development in Ghana particularly as the reset economy is not resetting, whilst Galamsey is out of control and free speech is being murdered.

Despite his criticism, the MP ended on a hopeful note, urging that Mahama’s leadership values at the international level be applied to Ghana’s progress.

“Let’s hope his leadership principles and global perspectives inform his decision-making for the benefit of Ghana’s development. Best wishes to you, Mr. President.”

Also, President Mahama made calls for a permanent representation of Africa on the United Nations General Assembly, granting the continent the right to veto power.

He explained that the long-standing tradition in which veto power is reserved for just five nations is outdated.

The current arrangement, rooted in the post-World War II order, the President stressed, concentrates power in the hands of a few countries.

He said, "Veto power should not be restricted to five nations, nor should it be absolute. There must be a mechanism for the General Assembly to challenge a veto. No single nation should be able to exercise an absolute veto to serve its own interests in a conflict."

Currently, five countries hold permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which automatically grants them veto power. This allows any one of them to block substantive resolutions, even if all other members agree. Named the P5, they include the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China.

These countries were granted permanent status and veto rights in 1945, at the end of World War II, as part of the founding structure of the UN. Eight decades later, nothing has changed despite the shifting global order, President Mahama highlighted.

He referred to Africa’s growing and youthful population, citing demographic projections that by 2050, Africa will be home to over a quarter of the world’s population and a third of its youth, hence, “the future is African.”

He emphasised that it is time for the UN to grant Africa permanent representation on its council. He believes that just as Ghana is making adjustments, the UN must “reset” itself in light of the dramatic changes since 1945; however, the UN's structures have not kept pace.

“A continent as large as Africa, with its numerous UN member states, would have at least one permanent seat on the Security Council. Madame President, I believe that in honour of this milestone celebration, the United Nations should also embark on a process of serious recalibration and establish its own reset agenda. Since the organisation's founding, the number of UN member nations has nearly quadrupled, and quite frankly, it is not the same world that it was back then when the UN was formed,” he stressed.

He reiterated that if equality were truly upheld, Africa, with its 54 member states, would have at least one permanent seat on the Security Council.

“The most powerful post-World War II nations are still being rewarded with an almost totalitarian guardianship over the rest of the world. And yet, the first sentence in Chapter 2, Article 1 of the UN Charter declares that ‘The Organisation is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its members,’” he said.

Drawing on the words of Nelson Mandela, who in 1995 urged the UN to “reassess its role, redefine its profile, and reshape its structures,” President Mahama noted that little progress had been made three decades later.

“Today, we African leaders are still making the same request: for a permanent seat on the Security Council, with the power of veto. So, I ask again: if not now, then when?” he declared.

Another reform President Mahama urged the UN to pursue was gender equality, particularly empowering women and girls. He emphasised that women are indispensable in the world's pursuit of development.

He said the future must be one of inclusion and fairness. “Allow me to echo the Indian-American writer, Arundhati Roy, who wrote: ‘Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.’ I want to add that for the sake of Africa, and quite selfishly, for the sake of my 18-year-old daughter, I hope this new world that is arriving is a place of safety and equality for women and girls. To succeed, we must empower everyone, including women and girls, to reach their full potential,” he stated.