Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin says President John Dramani Mahama’s first 120 days in office was uninspiring.
He has therefore accused President Mahama of offering self-congratulatory praise without delivering real progress in his account of his first 120 days in office.
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday [May 8], the Minority Leader said President Mahama exaggerated his achievements in governance reform, tax relief, job creation, and the fight against illegal mining, while ignoring Ghana’s most pressing challenges when he gave a national address on his first 120 days in office on Wednesday night.
President Mahama had said his administration had ushered in a new era of governance marked by transparency, efficiency, and urgency.
“We laid out a social contract with you, the people of Ghana, with specific promises for this critical initial period. Tonight, I’m pleased to report that we have fulfilled these promises,” the President stated.
He cited key accomplishments, including the formation of a lean government, the removal of burdensome taxes, the introduction of a new code of conduct, job creation initiatives, efforts to tackle illegal mining, and reforms in tourism, environmental policy, and the scholarship system.
“These actions are not merely checkboxes,” President Mahama said. “They signify a fundamental shift in how government operates,” while noting that more work remains.
But Mr Afenyo-Markin in reacting to the president;s account described the address as “a recycled failure wrapped in rhetoric.”
He accused the President of making lofty claims without tangible results.
“The President set the questions, wrote the exam, marked the script, and gave himself a distinction,” he said. “But the Ghanaian people are not fooled.”
He argued that most of the initiatives President Mahama touted were not new but repackaged campaign promises or rebranded versions of previous programmes that have yet to yield meaningful outcomes.
“This isn’t a presidency charting new territory,” Mr Afenyo-Markin said. “It’s a return flight to the familiar — where promises are repackaged and accountability is replaced by applause.”
He also attacked the government’s claim of fighting illegal mining, alleging that forest reserves continue to be destroyed while foreign nationals involved in illegal operations are quietly deported instead of prosecuted.
“Illegal mining has flourished under his [Mahama] silence,” he said. “Soldiers who once led enforcement efforts have been made redundant.”
On security, the Minority Leader expressed concern over what he called the politicisation of the military, alleging that promotions are increasingly driven by party loyalty rather than professional merit.
“Army generals are being promoted not by rank but by political loyalty,” he said. “This erodes the integrity of our national security structure.”
He further criticised the President’s handling of violent conflict in Bawku, saying it lacked urgency and compassion.
“There’s been neither decisive intervention nor compelling empathy…The people expected a reset. What they’re seeing is recycled failure,” he said
