Mahama Baako, Termination Bebree-Minority

The minority in Parliament have condemned the withdrawal of appointments of some workers employed by the previous government, at a time the ruling government says unemployment has hit a record two million in the country.

The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said this in his remarks to support the motion for adjournment after the delivery of the address on the state of the nation on Thursday, February 27, 2025.

“Mr. Speaker, he [President Mahama] has today told us that we have 2.2 million Ghanaians unemployed, but what he has forgotten is that, in his administration, in less than 100 days, all we know is sack them, sack them, sack them. Mr. Speaker, on the streets of Accra today, the youth of the country are saying that ‘Mahama baako, termination bebree’,” Afenyo-Markin noted.

The minority leader said his side was happy to hear that the government would launch the ‘Nkokonketenkete’ policy, but expressed doubt about it seeing the light of day, citing the much-talked-about guinea fowl project the last time John Mahama was president.

“Mr. Speaker, we are happy to hear from the President that he is going to launch the ‘Nkokonketenkete’. We are happy to hear this, but we are curious because only yesterday, we heard of Akonfem,” he jabbed the president.

The minority leader said the president talked about the school feeding programme and that his administration was feeding the children well.

“What he didn’t say was that at the time he assumed office, the previous government had paid every single one of the teachers,” Afenyo-Markin said.

 

OLD STOCK

The minority leader did not express hope in the new government, saying that it is “the same old stock. The same old stock, there is nothing new. There is nothing like transformation.”

He indicated that on Wednesday, this week, some youth of the President’s party, NDC, beseeched the headquarters of the party demanding jobs.

Though he could not conclude his statement for lack of time, as the Speaker truncated his submission to adjourn the House, the Effutu legislator’s last words were that “the President failed to tell us that, in spite of all the crises, consistently, the Akufo-Addo government was able to increase wages and the minimum we did was 11% as compared to his 10%.”

IRONY

The Effutu MP criticised the president for stating that he had paid domestic bonds that had matured and paid some energy sector debts to keep the lights on.His contention was how the president made the payments without presenting his budget, but relying on Akufo-Addo’s budget, but then turnaround to condemn it.

He said, “Mr. Speaker, the President again, as part of his lamentations, is telling the nation that through some arrangements, they have been able to do two things. Pay domestic bonds that mature and then also, they have successfully done some financial engineering to pay some energy sector debts to keep our lights on. My question is, Mr. Speaker, does the President have any budget? This is the budget he inherited, the revenues he inherited, that he has used for this purpose. The same government he is condemning.”

APPOINTMENTS

The minority leader criticised the appointments made by President Mahama, describing it as “if less, more divide” strategy.

He stated that the president has reduced his ministers but is appointing several presidential staffers.

“Mr. Speaker, the President again says that he has delivered fewer ministers, but it is clear that his strategy is, if few more divide. You have appointed a few ministers, but more and more and more presidential staffers and more and more appointees,” he narrated.

He reminded the president that his Cabinet of 19 has only 2 women,but further reminded him that the daughter of the founder of the NDC, Zanetor Rawlings, is yet to be appointed. He also mentioned Hajia Laadi Ayamba, MP for Pusiga and Helen Ntoso, MP for Krachi West.

HOPE

The majority leader, Mahama Ayariga, had moved the motion for adjournment after the president’s address. The Bawku Central MP expressed confidence in the future of the economy and the country.

“Mr. Speaker, what has happened to our economy and our country, and the presentation that has been made, says it all. It is sad. It is unfortunate, but His Excellency the President has brought us hope,” Ayariga stated.

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