"It is my hope that as many of our colleagues as possible will join us to inaugurate President Akufo-Addo," he said in a farewell address to the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 50th ordinary session in Abuja last Saturday.

High on the agenda of the Abuja meeting was the continuation of discussions on how to resolve the political impasse in The Gambia.

President Mahama said the successful conduct of the December 7 general election in Ghana had further strengthened the country's reputation as a model of democracy and thanked the various observer missions for their roles in the success of the polls.

"I wish to say that elections were successfully held on December 7. I want to thank ECOWAS for its role in the success of the elections and other observer missions that were with us throughout the period, specifically the African Union, the EU and the Commonwealth missions," he added.

He further informed ECOWAS that  a joint transition team was working to ensure a smooth transition of power to the incoming administration.

Plans

 Touching on his plans after exiting office, President Mahama said: "I have no immediate plans yet" but mentioned his intention to take a rest for some time.

He also hinted that he could be taking up some international duties in future.

"Many people have asked me what my plans are. l have no plans yet. My immediate intention is to take a well-deserved rest after three years of working without a single break. I guess that going forward l'll be more engaged on sub-regional, continental and global matters," he stated.

Gratitude

President Mahama expressed gratitude to God and Ghanaians for the opportunity they gave him to serve as President.

During the period of his Presidency, he said, significant socio-economic infrastructure and economic strides were made.

He also  thanked his colleagues in ECOWAS for their support and collaboration during his tenure as President and Chairman of ECOWAS.

He said during his tenure as ECOWAS Chairman, many successes were achieved.

President John Mahama meets President Muhammadu Buhari