How being a Vandal changed me from a shy boy to a fearless speaker – Mahama narrates

President John Dramani Mahama has shared a vivid recollection of how his time at the Commonwealth Hall, University of Ghana, transformed him from a reserved young man into a confident leader.

Speaking to an audience at the University of Ghana during the New Year School 2026, as captured in a video shared by CITI FM on X, he said he traced his personal journey from secondary school to the nation’s highest office.

“I left secondary school in the sixth form as a young introvert, not very expressive, didn’t like to make too many friends and walked through these gates,” he said.

He explained that his entry into Commonwealth Hall was not deliberate but rather the result of circumstance and advice from teachers who had once been students themselves.

These National Service Personnel, he recalled, strongly influenced the choices of young graduates preparing for university.

“And incidentally, I entered here and ended up in Commonwealth Hall by mistake. Our teachers who were national service persons always indoctrinated us to choose the halls they had been in when they were in the university,” he added.

Mahama further indicated that at the time, most of those teachers had studied in other halls, and their influence shaped perceptions among students finishing sixth form.

“And incidentally, in the University of Ghana, at the time that we were finishing sixth form, most of our National Service Personnel were from Legon, Mensah Sarbah and Akuafo Hall,” he said.

This, Mahama noted, created a culture of suspicion around Commonwealth Hall.

The hall was often portrayed as unruly, a place for mischief rather than serious study.

He said, “And so as usual, they demonised Commonwealth Hall and said it was a hall of rascals, students who were very misbehaved and that if you choose Commonwealth Hall, you will become demonised.”

Following this advise, he ranked Commonwealth Hall last on his application form.

But he said fate had other plans because the university had introduced a policy that year, which sent students who listed Commonwealth Hall last directly to the hall.

“So, we were required in our university forms to choose our halls of residence in order of preference. So, based on this indoctrination, Legon Hall first, Mensah Sarbah second, Akuafo Hall third and Commonwealth Hall last.

“Apparently, that year, the university had taken a decision that anybody who chose Commonwealth Hall first would not be given and all those who chose it last would instead be sent there. So, I ended up in Vandal City, a very shy young man,” he recalled.

John Dramani Mahama then reflected on how life in the hall reshaped him.

He stated that the vibrant culture of Commonwealth Hall, popularly known as Vandal City, pushed him out of his shell.

He added that he participated in activities that demanded boldness, expression, and camaraderie.

“Today, if I can stand before 100,000 people and say whatever I want. It is what Commonwealth Hall made me into. It made me an extrovert, expressive. I participated in all the activities of the Hall, including ponding people and singing at the Baku Shrine,” President Mahama narrated.

Watch President Mahama’s comments below: