Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Freddie Blay has taken a swipe at President John Mahama, warning him not to take credit for economic gains he says are driven largely by global forces rather than government policy.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with JoyNews’ Gemma Appiah, Mr Blay said while some positive indicators have emerged in recent months, they should not be attributed to the Mahama administration.

“Don’t make it look as if it is by the grace of President Mahama,” he said. “So don’t let us take credit for what we have not done.”

His comments follow the President’s recent State of the Nation Address, in which Mr Mahama highlighted falling fuel prices and the relative stability of the cedi as signs that his government’s policies are yielding results.

But Mr Blay disagreed with that assessment.

Addressing the issue of fuel prices, the former NPP chairman argued that pump prices in Ghana are influenced mainly by international crude oil markets, not by the performance of any sitting government.

“The petrol doesn’t depend on whether the person is working hard or is not working hard,” he said. “We will take the same credit if it goes down. Will Mahama take credit for that if it goes up?”

According to him, governments should be cautious about claiming credit when prices fall, since the same external forces can easily push prices up again.

Mr Blay also questioned the President’s remarks about strengthening the cedi, suggesting that the wording does not change the underlying reality.

“The president said he’s not arrested the dollar. He strengthened the cedi. What difference does it make? It’s the same thing. Put it the other way around,” he said.

He maintained that the currency’s recent stability is more closely linked to external dollar inflows and interventions in the foreign exchange market than to long-term structural reforms.

Since returning to office after the December 2024 elections, the Mahama administration has pointed to improving macroeconomic indicators as evidence of recovery.

However, the NPP has consistently argued that many of these gains are linked to global trends and policies initiated under the previous government.

Ghana is also still navigating the effects of its International Monetary Fund-supported recovery programme, making economic management a key political battleground.

Freddie Blay insists that economic improvements must be judged carefully.

“Let us be honest with ourselves,” he suggested, “and not claim what does not belong to us.”