The Minority in Parliament has delivered a scathing assessment of President John Dramani Mahama’s first year in office, accusing the government of economic mismanagement, weakened security, selective accountability and poor governance.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday, January 8, 2026, the Minority said the NDC administration’s first year had failed to deliver the promised “reset,” arguing instead that the country had experienced a “relapse” into what it described as dangerous economic experiments, lawlessness and partisan governance.
While acknowledging improvements in headline indicators such as GDP growth, inflation and cedi appreciation, the Minority contended that much of the recovery predated President Mahama’s return to power and was driven by an IMF programme and favourable global conditions, particularly rising gold prices.
It warned that the sharp appreciation of the cedi, though celebrated by the government, risks undermining exporters, farmers and manufacturers.
Central to the Minority’s criticism was what it described as a $214 million loss incurred under the Gold-for-Reserves programme within nine months.
The opposition accused the government of politicising and mismanaging a programme it said was functioning effectively under the previous administration.
It further accused GoldBod and the Bank of Ghana of misrepresenting operational fee income as programme profitability, contrary to findings contained in an IMF report.
The Minority also raised concerns about what it termed excessive off-taker fees within the gold trading scheme, suggesting either incompetence or corruption, and called for full disclosure of contracts and transactions.
It questioned the oversight role of the Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr Johnson Asiama, and accused the central bank of defending losses rather than instituting corrective action.
Beyond the economy, the Minority criticised the government’s handling of agriculture, citing instances of rice and tomato farmers being left with rotting produce due to a lack of storage, processing and timely intervention.
It argued that farmers were further disadvantaged by policies that encouraged imports amid a strong cedi.
On security, the Minority painted a grim picture, citing rising cases of armed robbery, murder, kidnappings and communal violence across several regions.
It said the deterioration in security had eroded public confidence and called for a comprehensive national security strategy.
The opposition also accused the government of broken promises on job creation, particularly the much-touted 24-hour economy, alleging rising unemployment and politically motivated dismissals in the public sector.
It referenced the deadly stampede at El Wak Stadium during a recruitment exercise as evidence of policy failure and lack of accountability.
On governance and accountability, the Minority described the government’s anti-corruption drive as selective, accusing the Attorney-General of politicising justice and shielding current officials from scrutiny. It criticised what it called governance by propaganda, arguing that communication had replaced transparency and audited reporting.
The Minority concluded by calling on Parliament to establish bipartisan committees to investigate the $214 million loss under the Gold-for-Reserves programme, insisting on subpoenas for all relevant contracts and testimony from GoldBod and Bank of Ghana officials.
“We will not relent in demanding accountability,” the Minority said, stressing its commitment to defending constitutionalism, judicial independence and transparent governance.
The press conference ended with a call on Ghanaians to remain vigilant in safeguarding democracy and insisting on fairness, accountability and the rule of law.
