The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has taken a swing at President John Dramani Mahama’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), describing it as nothing but ‘lamentation upon lamentation.’
He accused the President of also failing to acknowledge the work done by the Akufo-Addo administration and instead resorting to blame games.
Concluding debate on the motion to thank the President for his Message on the State of the Nation (SONA) on Friday, March 9 2025, Afenyo-Markin recalled Mahama’s past addresses, emphasizing a recurring theme of complaints rather than solutions.
“Mr. Speaker, when the President (Mahama) came to the House, all we heard him say was lamentation, lamentation and lamentation. But this was not new. This is how we have known him to be,” Afenyo-Markin stated.
He cited instances in 2013 and 2016 when Mahama, despite being part of the government for years, still lamented about the state of the economy instead of taking responsibility.
“In 2013, he was here to deliver a message on the State of the Nation, even when he was part of the very government he had succeeded. Again, in 2016, when we had the financial sector crisis, he blamed everyone but himself,” the Minority recalled.
Afenyo-Markin also took a swipe at Mahama over his handling of the financial sector crisis between 2015 and 2016, pointing out that the then-president failed to rescue struggling financial institutions and left many investors stranded.
“The President came to address this House in 2016 and said the Bank of Ghana had failed in its supervisory functions. But Mr. Speaker, if you are the Chief Executive of the land, you appoint the Governor of the Central Bank, you appoint the board members, and yet people are losing their investments, how do you turn around to blame others?” he asked.
He reminded the House that Mahama had stated in his 2016 SONA that the government would not take responsibility for the losses of microfinance investors, including those affected by DKM and God is Love financial institutions.
“That is how bad it was. He was in charge of the economy but blamed others for its failures,” he added.
Afenyo-Markin accused President Mahama of failing to acknowledge the economic interventions of the Akufo-Addo administration, which he claimed were being funded by revenues generated from taxes the opposition often criticizes.
“Mr. Speaker, the President failed to acknowledge that all the expenses made in this administration are as a result of revenues from the very taxes they are complaining about,” Afenyo-Markin noted.
He urged Ghanaians to refer to Mahama’s past SONAs for evidence of his repeated rhetoric of lamentation and refusal to take responsibility.
The Minority Leader expressed optimism that the NPP would return to power in 2028, promising to address the challenges faced by Ghanaians and restore hope.