SONA25: "Mahama came with same old stock and usual lamentations, nothing new" - Afenyo Markin

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus in Parliament, has expressed misgivings about the bleak picture the President portrayed about the economy he inherited from the previous government in his State-of-the-Nation Address.

Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, while responding to the President’s address, stated that President John Mahama was known for his usual lamentations and referred to the President’s address to Parliament in 2013 when he described the economy as “the meat is left with the bone” upon inheriting an economy he was the Vice President from 2009 to 2012.

“The President came with a familiar story and usual lamentations. It’s the same old stock, there is nothing new,” he said.

“If the President has any concerns, his duty is to fix it,” Mr Afenyo-Markin stated.

While challenging the President’s assertions that the previous government left the economy in a miserable state, Mr Afenyo-Markin queried how the new government managed to pay the monies of the domestic bondholders and purchased fuel to power the generators to keep the lights on.

Mr Afenyo-Markin criticised President Mahama for his directive to dismiss workers recruited by the previous government. “On the streets of Accra today, the youth are saying, “Mahama baako, termination brebreee” to wit” “One Mahama, many dismissals.”

The Minority Leader also chastised the President for alluding that school children were being fed well under his rein but failed to acknowledge that the previous government paid the arrears of the school caterers of the School Feeding Programme, which was initiated by an NPP government under President John Agyekum Kufuor.

The Minority Leader took a swipe at the President for appointing only two female ministers into his 19-member Cabinet, contrary to the 30 per cent he promised during the electioneering campaign.

The Minority Leader also alluded to the frustrations of the Majority Caucus in Parliament over non-appointment to ministerial positions, thereby making them to stay away from parliamentary proceedings.

GNA