The Minority in Parliament says Ghana’s security situation has significantly deteriorated one year into President John Dramani Mahama’s renewed mandate, warning that official ceremonies cannot conceal what it describes as growing fear and instability across the country.

In a press briefing on Thursday, January 8, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei, accused the government of failing in its fundamental duty to protect lives and property.

“While this government burns millions of cedis on gold plaques and abandoned farms, Ghanaians sleep with one eye open,” she said, adding that the country’s once peaceful environment is giving way to fear and uncertainty.

“One year into President Mahama’s renewed mandate, our country is gripped by insecurity that cannot be brushed aside with ceremonies,” she stated.

She cited figures acknowledged by the Interior Minister, indicating that as of July 2025, Ghana had recorded about 628 cases of armed robbery and 340 murders involving illicit arms within just six months.

The Asokwa MP argued that Ghanaians no longer feel safe in their own communities, blaming what she described as politicised policing and neglect of security services.

“This is not merely a matter of resources; it is a matter of priority,” she stressed.

She further raised alarm over the resurgence of communal and chieftaincy conflicts across several parts of the country. According to Ms Appiagyei, clashes since January 7, 2025, stretching from Bawku to Sampa, have left scores of people dead and displaced thousands, particularly in the Savannah and Upper East regions.

She said disputes linked to land ownership and traditional authority alone have resulted in at least 31 deaths and the displacement of about 48,000 people.

“A government that presides over such pervasive fear without a credible national strategy for prevention, early warning and rapid response has failed a basic duty of protection,” she said.

The Minority also expressed concern about a sharp rise in kidnapping cases, claiming that young men and women are increasingly going missing, while children are disappearing on their way to school.