Julius OkorieRe-elected former President of Ghana John Mahama, has described Offa in Kwara State as his second home and home town in Nigeria.
Speaking at a recent event, Mahama who was overwhelmingly returned to power after his first term that ended in 2016 went down memory lane to recall how he lived with his step mother, Madam Lucy Balogun, who hails from Offa in Kwara State, noting that he knows Offa quiet well.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelMahama who holds title of the chieftaincy title of Aare Atolase of Offa Kingdom, received 56% of votes cast in Saturday’s presidential election as against 41% recorded by Ghana’s Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia.
Mahama who failed in two previous attempts to return to power viz 2016 and 2020 appreciated the Olofa of Offa for finding him worthy of chieftaincy title.
He said “Let me clear a few things about my Nigerian antecedent. My step mother is Nigerian and she raised me. She comes from Offa in Kwara State. So what Kayode was explaining, at a point when there was coup in Ghana, my father lived in exile in Nigeria and I had to live with my step mother for many years in Offa, so I know Offa quiet well. I consider there my home town in Nigeria, and the Olo-Offa of Offa was gracious to grant me a chieftaincy title. So for those of you who don’t know I am the Aare Atolase of Offa Kingdom”
Primebusiness.africa recalls that John Mahama delivered the 40th anniversary lecture of University of Ilorin in 2015 with on the topic: Africa’s Agenda 2063: Ending Poverty and Ensuring Prosperity in Africa.
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The title, Aare Atolase of Offa Kingdom, according to His Royal Majesty, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II, who conferred the title on Mahama who begins his second term in January, means, “His Excellency John Mahama is the President of all others that are ensuring the nobility of this kingdom is maintained.”
The Olofa also announced that the conferment was to show the appreciation of the people of Offa to President Mahama for making time to visit and spend some time with them.
“We are glad that in spite of the very tight schedule, Your Excellency has ensured that this visit to Offa became a must. We thank Your Excellency for making it and we are very proud of you,” the Olofa had submitted then.
With his re-election on Saturday for a second term in office, there is no doubt that His Excellency John Mahama will make another visit to Nigeria and to Offa in Kwara state pretty soon.
One of the problems generated a lot of criticism during Mahama’s first term in office was prolonged power shortages, macroeconomic instability and allegations of political corruption although he was not personally linked.
In an interview with Reuters before the election, Mahama said he would seek to renegotiate terms of a $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout secured last year to restructure the country’s debt.
He has also promised to ease business regulations, introduce a 24-hour triple-shift work system, enact tax reforms and invest $10 billion in modernising infrastructure.
That John Mahama is popular among Ghanaians is to put it mildly. His winning margins in elections he won indicate that.
In 2012 he won the election with 50.70% of the total valid votes cast and a 3% winning margin beating his nearest rival, Nana Akufo-Addo of the main opposition New Patriotic Party, who polled a close 47.74%. Eight years later has won again with even an improved margin of 56% of vote cast as against Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia’s 41%.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
