The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has accused the government of engaging in what he described as political persecution, claiming that opposition figures and critics are being targeted as part of a broader attempt to silence dissent.

Speaking shortly after Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson presented the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review to Parliament on Thursday, July 23, Mr Afenyo-Markin said the government’s economic claims could not be separated from what he described as growing concerns over political intolerance.

“What we are experiencing in this country is persecution, persecution, persecution,” the Minority Leader stated.

Mr Afenyo-Markin argued that the success of economic policies should be measured by their impact on citizens rather than by government expenditure figures.

“You see, the true measure of a finance minister is not how much he spends,” he said.

The Minority Leader alleged that the government was using state institutions to target individuals linked to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), citing the cases of former Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and jailed TikToker Kamila Al-Hassan.

“Wontumi is a political prisoner? Mr Speaker, Kamila Al-Hassan, a young mother of three, is also a political prisoner?” he questioned.

He argued that such actions created an atmosphere of fear and intolerance, warning that attempts to suppress opposition voices would not prevent Parliament from performing its oversight responsibilities.

“You can decide to imprison every MP. It will not shut us down. We will criticise you,” Mr Afenyo-Markin said.

He maintained that the Minority would continue to demand accountability from the government and scrutinise decisions involving public resources.

Mr Afenyo-Markin criticised the Finance Minister’s Mid-Year Budget Review, describing it as lacking practical solutions to the economic difficulties experienced by many Ghanaians.

“Mr Speaker, this review is full of English with empty payment,” he said.

According to him, the government's presentation did not adequately address concerns about unemployment, rising costs and declining confidence among businesses.

He also questioned figures provided by government officials regarding funds released for agricultural programmes.

“His deputy minister told the nation that 1.6 billion was released to the Agric minister. Today, he says only 1.1 billion,” he alleged.

The Minority Leader further accused the government of neglecting cocoa farmers, arguing that the sector received insufficient attention in the budget review.

“Throughout his review, there was no policy announcement for the cocoa sector. The 4 million cocoa farmers are suffering,” he said.

He added that cocoa farmers had continued to face hardship since Dr Ato Forson assumed responsibility as supervising minister for cocoa-related matters.

“This Finance Minister, since he took over as a supervising minister responsible for cocoa, we have seen suffering and wailing, and he comes here to lament,” he stated.

The Minority Leader also criticised the government’s handling of the gold-for-reserves policy, claiming that earlier warnings from the opposition had not been considered.

He said the Minority had raised concerns over charges associated with the initiative but that the government failed to respond.

He claimed that adjustments made later following discussions involving the International Monetary Fund (IMF) came after financial losses had already occurred.

“Later, the IMF forced them to reduce it to 9%. Three days ago, the governor announced that he was no more going to participate in this gold-for-reserve. It’s too late today,” he added.

Questioning the government's claim of prudent economic management, he alleged that the policy had resulted in significant losses.

“You’ve already incurred losses of 9.6 billion. That is what the IMF told you. And you come here and you’re saying prudent management of the economy. Really?” he asked.

Mr Afenyo-Markin also challenged the government's decision to allocate resources to the 24-hour economy initiative while, according to him, critical healthcare infrastructure remained unresolved.

“If you come here, and you say '24-hour market'. 24-hour market at 42 million cedis. And you’ve abandoned Agenda 111. The hospitals, that should be your priority,” he said.

He questioned the rationale behind investing in market-related projects when hospital infrastructure continued to require attention.

“When there are no hospitals, how do you say you are consulting markets?” he asked.

The Minority Leader further alleged that local assemblies were being required to use their own allocations to support the 24-hour economy programme.

“Meanwhile, you are using the assemblies' own allocation to pay for the 24-hour economy,” he claimed.

Mr Afenyo-Markin also questioned the government’s claims about payments made under its economic programmes, alleging that resources were being distributed along political lines.

He also criticised the implementation of the 'Nkoko Nkitinkiti' initiative, claiming the programme had lost its intended purpose and become politicised.

“The 'Nkoko Nkitinkiti' project has now become protein," he said.

The Minority Leader further accused the government of failing to create sufficient employment opportunities and restore confidence among businesses.

He criticised the decision to discontinue the One District One Factory (1D1F) programme introduced under the previous NPP administration, arguing that no adequate replacement had been introduced.

“You cancelled the 1D1F, which was a great opportunity for the private sector. In its place, no policy alternative,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin also questioned how the government intended to expand economic activity under conditions of rising electricity costs.

He further alleged that job losses in the public sector had worsened unemployment among young people.

Despite his criticisms, Mr Afenyo-Markin acknowledged what he described as a positive aspect of the Finance Minister’s presentation — the recognition of digitalisation reforms introduced under the previous NPP government.

“We welcome the reforms by the Finance Minister. And for the first time, he did something patriotic by acknowledging the digitalisation reforms we introduced in government payments,” he said.

He commended Dr Ato Forson for recognising those measures but urged the government to focus on delivering more visible improvements for citizens.

“We commend you for acknowledging NPP. We commend you. But you can do better,” he added.

The Minority Leader insisted that the opposition would continue to monitor government expenditure and demand accountability.

“We are not interested in the books. We are interested in the economy in our pockets. People are suffering, Mr Speaker. People need jobs,” he said.

He warned the government against becoming complacent and predicted political consequences if it failed to address citizens’ concerns.

“The good news is that you are on your way to opposition. So you should begin thinking,” Mr Afenyo-Markin stated.