The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, unleashed a scathing critique on President John Mahama’s administration during his State of the Nation Address on Thursday.
The Minority Leader, also MP for Effutu, Afenyo-Markin’s remarks came as he seconded the adjournment of the House.
He began by congratulating President Mahama on his election and wishing him well.
However, he quickly turned his attention to the president’s address, which he described as lacking in substance.
The Minority Leader questioned President Mahama’s claim of appointing fewer ministers, pointing out that the president had instead appointed more presidential staffers.
“The president says he has appointed fewer ministers, but it is clear that his strategy is ‘if more, less divide.’
He has appointed fewer ministers but more presidential staffers,” Afenyo-Markin said.
Afenyo-Markin also expressed concern over the lack of representation of women in President Mahama’s government.
“Where are the women in your government? We have only 10% women in your cabinet,” he asked. The Minority Leader noted that the daughter of the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was missing from the cabinet.
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The Minority Leader further criticized President Mahama’s handling of the economy, pointing out that the president had failed to acknowledge the progress made in the last eight years.
“What we have heard today fails to acknowledge the strides made in the last 8 years. President Mahama has failed to acknowledge that he came to meet a peaceful and stable economy,” Afenyo-Markin said.
Afenyo-Markin also questioned President Mahama’s ‘nkoko nkitinkiti’ initiative, which aims to promote agriculture and reduce unemployment.
“We are curious about President Mahama’s ‘Koko nkitinkiti’ because only yesterday we heard of ‘nkomfem,'” he said.
The Minority Leader concluded by stating that President Mahama’s administration had failed to provide any meaningful solutions to the country’s problems.
“What we are seeing in this government is the same old stock, there’s nothing new,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin’s remarks were met with applause from his colleagues in the Minority, while the Majority side of the House shouted at him.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
