The Minority in Parliament has launched a blistering critique of President John Dramani Mahama’s 120-day performance report, dismissing the government’s self-assessment as hollow, superficial, and emblematic of a faltering presidency already out of steam.
At a press conference held in Accra, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said President Mahama’s national broadcast on the 120-day milestone was less an honest account of progress and more a “ceremonial exercise in self-congratulation” that does not reflect the realities on the ground.
“This is not just a speech,” Afenyo-Markin stated. “It is a call to remembrance and resistance. It is a forensic audit of the presidency that campaigned with the urgency of a reformer but now governs with the indifference of a ruler long exhausted by ideas.”
He accused the Mahama administration of abandoning its campaign rhetoric of transformation, instead opting for political expediency and what he termed a “recycled failure” — suggesting that the President had returned to old, ineffective patterns of governance that contributed to past national disappointments.
From promise to disillusion
According to the Minority, the high hopes ignited by the President’s return to power are fast evaporating. Afenyo-Markin said the administration’s early signals are worrying, describing the current leadership as already slipping into “lame duck days.”
“Now the 120 days are over, the promises have collapsed, the excuses have run dry, the reckoning must begin,” he declared. “Let it be said plainly to every Ghanaian — you were not given a reset; you were sold a recycled failure.”
The Minority Leader further accused the President of betraying the trust of the electorate by prioritizing optics over real reform. “They are trading the will of the people for political convenience,” he said, calling on Ghanaians to remain alert, vocal, and unyielding in defense of the democratic process.
“Rise up to defend the Republic,” he implored.
“Achievements” lacking depth and impact
Responding directly to the President’s claims of progress — including the repeal of controversial taxes, restructuring of state institutions, and laying the groundwork for legislative accountability — the Minority dismissed these reforms as “cosmetic,” lacking any transformative power.
“These so-called achievements have no substance,” Afenyo-Markin said. “The country is still grappling with the same issues the President promised to fix — economic hardship, mass unemployment, environmental destruction, and stalled governance reforms.”
He cited widespread public disillusionment with the pace and direction of government actions and warned that unless meaningful changes were made, the country risked squandering the opportunity for a true reset.
A swipe at “One Million Coders”
One of the flagship projects highlighted by President Mahama in his address — the “One Million Coders Programme” — came under sharp criticism. The initiative, aimed at training one million Ghanaians in coding and digital skills, was described by the Minority as “empty rhetoric.”
“We, the mighty Minority, boldly remind the President that digital transformation cannot be downloaded onto our national digital network by beautiful speeches and launching ceremonies,” Afenyo-Markin said. “Ghana’s youth deserve tools, not talking points.”
He argued that beyond ceremonial fanfare, the programme lacked proper implementation and meaningful support systems to make it successful, especially in rural and underserved communities where digital access remains limited.
“You cannot promise a digital future and give the youth slogans,” he stated. “They need laptops, internet access, mentors — not media launches.”
Currency gains not a government victory
Turning to the recent appreciation of the Ghanaian cedi, Afenyo-Markin challenged the government’s attempt to claim credit for what he said was largely a global economic phenomenon.
From a high of over GH¢17 on the retail market in 2023, the cedi has strengthened to around GH¢14.
But the Minority Leader attributed this shift not to any deliberate policy by the Mahama government, but to global currency recalibrations driven by external financial dynamics.
“This is not an NDC miracle,” he argued. “It is global monetary turbulence. This is currency recalibration on a planetary scale.”
He called on the government to channel its energy into addressing urgent domestic economic issues rather than celebrating what he called a “false dawn.”
“I am telling the Finance Minister — go and pay the suppliers and contractors. The contractors must get back on the road. The government’s projects must resume. Stop holding back people’s money.”
Galamsey fight betrayed
Perhaps the harshest rebuke came over the government’s perceived failure to combat illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey. Afenyo-Markin described the Mahama administration’s inaction on the issue as a “disappointing and unpardonable betrayal.”
He reminded Ghanaians of the NDC’s previous promise to declare a state of emergency on galamsey if elected — a promise he says has vanished without a trace.
“Illegal mining continues to devastate our rivers, poison our lands, and destroy communities,” he lamented. “The promised state of emergency has vanished, replaced by silence and inaction, while the sector minister shares crocodile tears on national television.”
He said this betrayal strikes at the heart of the government’s integrity and environmental stewardship, leaving affected communities vulnerable and disillusioned.
The verdict: Hollow start, uncertain future
In sum, the Minority painted a picture of a government that entered office with grand declarations but has quickly settled into complacency. Afenyo-Markin’s charge is clear: President Mahama’s first 120 days are marked by missed opportunities, performative gestures, and the erosion of public trust.
“As a nation, we cannot afford to watch this administration squander another mandate,” he said. “We will hold them accountable, not after four years — but now, and every day until then.”
The Minority says it will continue to track and publicly scrutinize every policy promise, every government action, and every national address in what it calls a mission to “rescue the Republic from recycled failure.”
Whether the government responds with renewed purpose or further entrenches itself in its current approach remains to be seen. But for now, the battle lines in Ghana’s political discourse have been clearly drawn.
