Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has challenged the Mahama administration’s job creation claims, citing mass dismissals at state-owned institutions and questioning the credibility of the government’s assertion that it has created one million jobs in under two years.

Speaking on Newsfile a day after President John Dramani Mahama delivered his State of the Nation Address, Afenyo-Markin said many workers who had been employed years earlier were unfairly caught up in recent terminations.

“I have a pile of letters in my office. Somebody employed in 2018, somebody in 2017 — in employment for six or seven years — they were all sacked,” he said.

He named several affected institutions, including the Ghana Water Company Limited, Electricity Company of Ghana, Ghana Maritime Authority, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust.

According to the Minority Leader, the dismissals contradict the government’s narrative of job creation and risk deepening public mistrust.

The terminations followed a directive issued on February 10, 2025, by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, instructing heads of government institutions to annul appointments made after December 7, 2024, the date of the general elections.

While the directive was meant to target late appointments, its broad implementation sparked controversy, with reports indicating that workers employed years earlier were also affected.

Afenyo-Markin also questioned the government’s claim that official data confirmed the creation of one million jobs, calling for greater transparency.

“Where are these jobs? Which sectors? Which regions? We need a proper breakdown,” he said.

He urged the government to publish detailed figures from the Ghana Statistical Service to back its claims.

“These dismissals undermine confidence and weaken the economy,” he added. “You cannot sack thousands and still claim you are creating jobs.”