By Daniel Bampoe
The Minority in Parliament has launched a scathing rebuke of President John Dramani Mahama’s first 120 days in office, accusing the reinstated leader of failing to live up to his reformist promises and betraying the public trust.
In back-to-back press briefings on May 8, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin painted a damning picture of what he termed an administration already losing steam and reverting to “recycled failures.”
The critique comes on the heels of President Mahama’s national address on Wednesday, in which he outlined what he called significant gains achieved since assuming office.
He cited key reforms such as the repeal of controversial taxes, restructuring of state institutions, and steps toward increasing legislative accountability.
Mahama framed these measures as evidence of a government swiftly delivering on its promises.
But the Minority Caucus is having none of it.
According to Afenyo-Markin, Mahama’s reformist credentials, touted during the 2024 campaign, have already begun to unravel.
“This is not just a speech; it is a call to remembrance and resistance,” he declared. “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 further warned that the President’s so-called “social contract” with the Ghanaian people has been hollowed out, replaced by political expediency and window dressing.
“Now the 120 days are over, the promises have collapsed, the excuses have run dry, the reckoning must begin,” he said.
“Let it be said plainly to every Ghanaian — you were not given a reset; you were sold a recycled failure.”
Galamsey: A Promise in Tatters?
The Minority’s critique extended sharply to the Mahama administration’s approach to illegal mining, or galamsey, a deeply contentious issue in Ghanaian politics.
While campaigning in 2024, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had pledged to confront illegal mining with urgency, even suggesting it would declare a state of emergency if elected.
But 120 days into Mahama’s term, Afenyo-Markin said those promises have all but disappeared.
“The government’s inaction on illegal mining is not just disappointing, it is a betrayal,” he said.
“Illegal mining continues to devastate our rivers, poison our lands, and affect communities. The promised state of emergency has vanished, replaced by silence and inaction.”
He specifically criticized the current Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah who he claimed has been shedding “crocodile tears” on national television while communities continue to suffer environmental degradation.
