A retired international diplomat, Michael Yaw Offei, has urged President-Elect John Dramani Mahama to appoint a new set of appointees, different from those he worked with during his first tenure.

In an interview with journalists at his residence in Tema on Tuesday, he reminded them that the debilitating defeat Mr. Mahama suffered as the incumbent in 2016 was due to some of the people he had appointed into office.

“There is a saying that if you have been bitten by a snake before, you develop fear even for worms. I hope this holds true for former President John Mahama, whose headache as President in his first term was caused by some of his appointees.

“My advice to him is to keep all of those former appointees at arm’s length and bring in a brand-new batch of fresh appointees,” said Mr. Offei, who is a lawn tennis enthusiast and a patron of the Tema Premier Tennis Club.

Mr. Michael Yaw Offei is also a retired economist who has worked with both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

A respected senior citizen, his insights often carry significant weight in critical governance, financial, and fiscal matters.

According to him, the former President himself provided commendable leadership during his first term, “but some of the young, inexperienced people he appointed were his undoing.

It is the reason why you had situations where a deputy minister who had not seen money before could publicly dream of making one million dollars.”

The respected diplomat urged the former President to “consult extensively and appoint the seasoned and experienced men and women available in the party. Experience is especially needed to reset the country at this time of total economic doldrums.”

“The Great NDC has the men. There are a lot of energetic and experienced young men who deserve appointments,” Mike Offei said.

Meanwhile, Michael Yaw Offei has congratulated the Vice President-Elect, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, for her historic election as the first female Vice President of the Republic of Ghana.

“This historic first is rather poignant, as it comes just in time after the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill into law,” he added, beaming with a smile.

According to Michael Yaw Offei, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has broken through yet another glass ceiling for Ghanaian women, and this feat has cemented her in the memory of history forever. “Congratulations, Your Excellency Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang,” Mr. Michael Yaw Offei concluded.