Audio By Carbonatix
Dr Ekua Amoakoh, Deputy Spokesperson for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia's campaign team, says President John Dramani Mahama’s government has not shown enough commitment to delivering the key policies it campaigned on, more than a year into its term.
Speaking on the AM Show on Monday, Dr Amoakoh argued that major initiatives such as the much-touted 24-hour economy and the “one job, three shifts” policy have seen little to no progress, raising concerns about the government’s ability to fulfil its promises within a four-year mandate.
“I do not see enough of a commitment to that. We are in the second year now — the 24-hour economy, one job, three shifts — we don’t see any progress with that,” she said.
Her comments come amid ongoing public debate over the performance of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration in its first year in office, following its victory in the December 2024 general elections.
Dr Amoakoh warned that time was already running out for the government to roll out its flagship programmes, stressing that four years is a relatively short period for major structural reforms.
“If by the end of your first year in office, a lot of the key policy initiatives that you campaigned on, we are not seeing any push of it, then we might as well raise our hands and give up now,” she cautioned.
She also questioned the feasibility of implementing a nationwide 24-hour public service system at a time when the government is struggling to meet existing wage obligations, citing challenges in paying public sector workers, including teachers.
“We were just talking about 70,000 teachers and how they are having a hard time paying them. These are people already in the employment sector, and you just have to find money to pay them,” she said.
Dr Amoakoh argued that the concerns raised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) while in opposition about the practicality of the 24-hour economy were ignored during the NDC’s campaign.
“When they were moving up and down the country talking about it, we told them it wasn’t the most practical thing. Demand must precede what you’re going to produce,” she added.
Despite her criticism, the Bawumia spokesperson acknowledged that the Mahama administration has benefited from some level of economic stability, which she said has given the government “a very long honeymoon”.
She noted that improvements in global economic conditions, combined with certain domestic policies, have had a positive effect on the country in the short term.
However, she warned that public patience will not last forever.
“As time goes on, the Ghanaian people are going to begin to hold them accountable for the specific promises that they made,” Dr Amoakoh said.
President Mahama, now in his second year of a new term, has repeatedly assured Ghanaians that his government remains committed to rolling out the 24-hour economy and other job-creation policies aimed at boosting productivity and reducing unemployment.
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