The Minority Leader, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has accused the government of eroding the trust of local businesses and Ghanaian workers through job cuts, steep tariff hikes, and the cancellation of the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative.
Speaking in Parliament during the debate on the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2026 Budget, Afenyo-Markin stated that the administration has failed to offer viable policy alternatives after scrapping critical economic programmes.
“You’re the organization. Ghanian businesses have lost confidence in you. You cancel the 1D1F which was creating opportunity for the private sector. In it place no policy alternative,” he stated.
He further condemned rising utility costs and public sector lay-offs, questioning the feasibility of the proposed 24-hour economy policy amidst economic strain.
“Electricity tariffs have gone up over almost thirty percent. Then you get up and say you are promoting 24-Hour Economy. You have sacked public sector workers. Many of the Ghanian youth lost their jobs. You sacked them,” Afenyo-Markin told the House.
Addressing the government’s call for praise, the Minority Leader insisted the focus should instead be on restoring livelihoods and cushioning citizens from hardship.
“Today you are here. Instead of promising to restore them into their rightful places in the job market you are not doing so. Then you come you say we should praise you. Who is going to praise you?” he asked.
He alleged that state resources are being selectively disbursed, leaving ordinary citizens and even government backbenchers to shoulder economic hardship.
“If you don’t pay and you are holding the money and then you are there tightening belt and only paying your party members then we should praise you. We are not interested in the books. We are interested in the economy in our pockets. People are suffering Mister Speaker. People need jobs,” he said.
“Your youths even your MPs they are praising you here. A lot of them are hungry. Your backbenchers. They can’t go back home. Your backbenchers. And you hear you say we should praise you. We’ll not praise you. It is the same old story,” Afenyo-Markin added.
Warning of potential electoral defeat in 2028, Afenyo-Markin urged the Attorney-General and the executive to exercise restraint and cease what he termed as political persecution.
“I want you to the Attorney General that there are very clouds that no longer be victorious. They shall not long possess the sky. Be careful. Twenty twenty-eight you’ll be in opposition. Twenty twenty-eight,” he stated.
“If if you are not careful Mr Speaker if you don’t stop now you will go and meet Wontumi there and Wontumi will be out and you will go in. So I’m advising you let us all be measured,” he warned.
While commending the Finance Minister for acknowledging past digitalisation achievements, he demanded the immediate release of opposition figures.
“We welcome the reforms by the Finance Minister and for the first time he did something patriotic by acknowledging the digitalization reforms we introduced in government payments. Today he has acknowledged it. Mr Speaker we commend you for acknowledging NPP. We commend you but you can do better,” he said.
“Tell your government to free all political prisoners. Dr Ato Forson tell your government to free all political prisoners. Chairman Wontumi deserve justice. Camilla Al Hasan deserve justice,” he stated.
Afenyo-Markin maintained that legal pressure against Minority Members of Parliament would not deter them from holding the administration accountable.
“The MPs behind me that you have lined them up for persecution. Listen you can decide to imprison every MP. It will not shut us down. We will criticize you. We will hold your feet to account and we’ll make sure you account for every city you spend,” he declared.
“But you know what? The good news is that you are on your way to opposition. You’re on your way to opposition. So you should begin thinking. You should begin thinking deep because that in someone’s self in someone prison will not be locked up. It will” he added.
Turning to budgetary allocations, the Minority Leader criticized Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson over a GH¢42 million vote for the 24-hour economy project, arguing that funds should prioritize stalled healthcare projects like Agenda 111.
“The finance minister to walk the talk. If you come here and you say 24- hour market at forty-two million cities and you’ve abandoned the agenda one one one. The hospitals that should be your priority. You are not consulting the hospitals,” he said.
“Then you are spending a whooping sum of forty-two million and you say you’ve released eighty percent to the assemblies,” he noted.
Afenyo-Markin concluded by describing the mid-year review as uninspiring and reiterating concerns over state-led persecution.
“Mr speaker this this review is on inspiring. There is no inspiration. What we are experiencing in this country is persecution persecution persecution. For the first time we are seeing political imprisonment. Won’t to me is a political prisoner,” he told the House.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
