Minority Leader lambasts Mahama-led government over 120-day record

The Minority in Parliament has delivered a scathing review of President John Dramani Mahama’s first 120 days in office, describing his much-touted “reset” agenda as a dangerous relapse into misgovernance, populism, and political persecution.

Speaking at a press briefing on May 8, 2025, Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, minced no words as he tore into the administration’s record, accusing the government of failing on nearly every front—from jobs and energy to the economy and rule of law.

“What Ghanaians are witnessing is not a reset. It is a RELAPSE. A government overwhelmed by the weight of its own deception—struggling, stumbling, and failing miserably,” Afenyo-Markin declared.

He argued that President Mahama’s administration, which came into office with a 120-day social contract promising bold reforms, has instead delivered “populism without policy, lamentations without leadership, and retaliation without reason.”

Broken promises and mass dismissals

The administration, Afenyo-Markin noted, began its term by sacking thousands of public servants, including youth employed in health, education, and emergency sectors.

“These were not just numbers. These were nurses, teachers, agric officers, and NADMO coordinators—legitimately employed professionals whose only crime was to have served under the previous government,” he said.

The Minority also pointed to the so-called “1-3-3” shift model of the 24-hour economy policy as both misleading and contradictory, questioning how a government that laid off thousands could simultaneously promise round-the-clock productivity.

“They didn’t create the jobs, yet they’ve taken them away. You cannot sack people and then turn around to say you want to build a 24-hour economy. That’s not just hypocrisy—it’s cruelty,” the Minority Leader said.

Military purge and political witch-hunts

In a startling revelation, Afenyo-Markin condemned what he called the politicization of the military following the dismissal of the Chief of Defence Staff, all service chiefs, and over a dozen senior officers.

He said these actions undermined national security and weakened institutional memory.

“It’s unprecedented and deeply worrying. This administration has sacrificed experience and professionalism on the altar of partisanship,” he noted.

He further accused the government of using state security agencies to intimidate political opponents.

From armed raids on the homes of former officials like Ken Ofori-Atta and Dominic Nitiwul to attempts to arrest sitting MPs, the Minority claimed the Mahama government was replicating “PNDC-style tactics of fear and intimidation.”

Return of Dumsor, rising costs

On the economy and energy, the Minority Leader warned that Ghana is regressing. With no load-shedding timetable in sight, the return of erratic power supply—popularly known as “Dumsor”—has hit businesses and households hard. A recent 14.75% hike in electricity tariffs and a 4.02% increase in water tariffs, Afenyo-Markin said, only worsened public frustration.

“This is the same man who said he ended Dumsor. Well, here we are again—just 120 days in and darkness is back,” he stated. “How do you promise a 24-hour economy when you can’t keep the lights on?”

The Minority also called out the government for what it described as artificial economic gains. Citing falling inflation and a stronger cedi, Afenyo-Markin argued that these trends were externally driven and not the result of sound domestic policy.

“The cedi’s performance is not a product of innovation. It is a product of circumstance—a weaker dollar and a lull in government spending. The fundamentals are still shaky,” he stressed.

Galamsey, education, and hypocrisy

Touching on illegal mining (galamsey), Afenyo-Markin said the NDC administration has done worse than it accused the previous government of. “Galamsey has intensified, not reduced. Selective enforcement and political protection for party-affiliated miners is the order of the day.”

He also highlighted failed social interventions, including the inability to implement the promised no-academic-fee policy for first-year tertiary students and free education for students with disabilities.

“Not a single student has had their fees paid. The universities have received no funds. It was all a lie to get votes,” he said.

Judiciary under siege

Perhaps the most alarming part of the address was the Minority’s accusation that the executive was trying to capture the judiciary.

Referring to the sudden nomination of seven new justices to the Supreme Court, the Minority alleged that the move was a strategy to pack the courts and prepare the ground for a third Mahama term.

“From manipulating the judiciary to dismissing competent professionals and intimidating opponents, this is not governance—it’s domination,” Afenyo-Markin warned.

“Ghanaians deserve better. This government came to power on the back of promises, but in four months, they’ve brought nothing but pain,” he concluded. “The time for theatrics is over. The time for serious, competent governance is now,” he concluded.

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