The Minority Leader, Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has issued a scathing assessment of President John Dramani Mahama’s first 120 days in office since his re-election, accusing the president of national deception and policy failure on nearly every front.
In a passionate and unrestrained address, the Member of Parliament for Effutu described Mahama’s governance as “a recycled failure,” claiming the President has betrayed the hopes of Ghanaians who voted for change, inclusivity, and national renewal.
“This is a forensic audit of the presidency that campaigns with the urgency of a reformer but now governs with the indifference of a ruler long exhausted by ideas.
“I dare say that the lame dark days of President John Dramani Mahama have already started. He’s back”.
Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin, MP for Effutu and Minority Leader
He charged that the much-publicised 120-day social contract with Ghanaians has not only failed but has exposed the administration’s lack of sincerity, direction, and commitment to the very ideals it proclaimed.
One of the sharpest criticisms came on the issue of constitutional fidelity. The Effutu MP lambasted President Mahama’s handling of the constitutional requirement for asset declaration by public officials.
He pointed to a blatant disregard for Article 286 of the Constitution, where the president failed to refer his non-compliant appointees to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), instead imposing an arbitrary penalty of three months salary forfeiture.
“No investigations, no accountability. What the president did was not a legal remedy. It was a constitutional betrayal. By failing to uphold the law, the President brought his own oath and entire presidency into dispute.”
Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin, MP for Effutu and Minority Leader
National Security and Environmental ‘Destruction’
Turning to national security, the Minority Leader slammed the government’s perceived politicisation of the armed forces.
He claimed that the administration had undermined national security by replacing experienced and non-partisan officers with loyal party operatives.
This, he said, has weakened Ghana’s military and failed communities like Bawku, which continues to suffer from violence and instability.
“In his inaugural address, Mr President personally said that he was going to secure our sub-region, and I quote, ‘we must work together to keep our sub-region safe’. Yet under his own watch, Bawku bleeds. The president offers neither decisive intervention nor compelling empathy. I repeat, today, Bawku bleeds.”
Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin, MP for Effutu and Minority Leader
Environmental stewardship—once touted as a cornerstone of the Mahama-led administration—was another area where Hon. Afenyo-Markin found glaring failures.
Despite campaign pledges to combat illegal mining and introduce environmentally friendly initiatives, he claimed President Mahama’s government has turned a blind eye to galamsey activities, particularly involving foreign nationals who are deported rather than prosecuted.
“As our country’s leader and his much-trumpeted social contract with the people of Ghana, President Mahama solemnly pledged, ‘I ban illegal and new mining activities in forest reserves, roll out our tree for life and blue water initiative to heal and sustainably harness the environment’.
“And yet, illegal mining has flourished under his silence. Foreign nationals caught in Galamsey operations are deported, not prosecuted.”
Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin, MP for Effutu and Minority Leader
Also, the Effutu MP noted that the NDC’s campaign promises to repeal LI 2462 remain unfulfilled.
He noted with irony that even Organised Labour had, during its May Day address, lamented the rapid deterioration of the environment under the current government.
Retaliatory Politics
On inclusivity, which President Mahama vowed to prioritize, Hon. Afenyo-Markin painted a bleak picture.
According to him, the president has rather fostered a climate of discrimination and victimisation, especially within the civil service.
He accused the administration of sacking public servants—mostly young professionals—not for any wrongdoing, but simply because they were recruited under the previous administration. In their place, he claimed, party loyalists are being appointed.
“This is not inclusivity. This is ideological cleansing. We now have two Ghanas: one for the NDC where only their party foot soldiers enjoy, and another for others who must go through bitter experiences.”
Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin, MP for Effutu and Minority Leader
He further noted that qualified nurses remain unemployed, recruitment into the health and education sectors has stalled, and public trust in the promised job creation agenda has eroded significantly.
“We have a government that is creating more unemployment than employment,” he said. In his concluding remarks, Hon. Afenyo-Markin called on Ghanaians to rise in defense of the republic.
He emphasized that what the country is witnessing is not merely administrative failure but a betrayal of the national spirit.
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