Afenyo-Markin Slams Mahama’s 120 Days as ‘Rhetoric Fail’

Afenyo-Markin Criticizes Mahama’s First 120 Days as “Recycled Failure Wrapped in Rhetoric”

President John Dramani Mahama’s performance during his first 120 days in office has been publicly criticized by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the minority leader in Ghana’s parliament, who calls it uninspired and full of broken promises. At a news conference on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Accra, Afenyo-Markin charged that the President was using self-congratulatory rhetoric that was hollow and had no quantifiable effect.

This criticism was made the day after President Mahama gave a speech to the country detailing the accomplishments of his first four months in office. President Mahama presented a vision of revolutionary governance in his speech, asserting that he had brought urgency, efficiency, and transparency to government processes. He listed achievements like establishing a lean government, removing some taxes, implementing a new code of conduct, generating employment, and implementing changes to the scholarship program, tourism, and environmental regulations.

Afenyo-Markin, however, denied these allegations, calling the president’s speech a repetition of unsuccessful programs and campaign catchphrases. He mockingly remarked, “The President set the questions, marked his own answers, and gave himself an A.” He underlined that the purported accomplishments were little more than repackaged versions of outdated programs that had failed to yield significant outcomes. He thinks that Ghana requires creative leadership rather than political showmanship.

He also accused the administration of complacency and questioned the efficacy of its strategy against illegal mining, or galamsey. “Foreigners engaged in illicit mining are quietly deported instead of facing justice, while our forests are being destroyed,” he said. “Soldiers who were previously involved in enforcement efforts have been sidelined,” Afenyo-Markin continued.

Concerning the politicization of Ghana’s military, the Minority Leader also expressed alarm, claiming that promotions are increasingly determined by political connections rather than qualifications. He voiced worries about national security, implying that the military’s credibility is being jeopardized.

Speaking about the Bawku crisis, he attacked the President for lacking urgency and compassion, claiming that the people had been expecting a new strategy but had instead been given “recycled failure.”

In conclusion, Afenyo-Markin feels that the administration of President Mahama has not lived up to expectations and has not offered Ghana a clear way forward.