The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has criticized the 2025 Budget Statement presented by the government, describing it as disappointing and a clear sign that the Mahama administration is failing to deliver on its promises.
At a press conference on Wednesday (26 March), NPP’s Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah, noted that despite the National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign promise to establish a 24-hour economy, no concrete budgetary allocation had been made for its implementation.
He also criticized the government’s spending priorities, highlighting that the allocation for compensation at the Jubilee House (GHC2.711 billion) was significantly higher than combined allocations for key development programmes and argued that these allocations expose the government’s misplaced priorities.
According to Richard Ahiagbah, the budget has failed to address the economic hardships that Ghanaians face. He cited criticisms from stakeholders such as the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and agricultural experts, who believe that the government has failed to consult key players before making its allocations.
On the fight against illegal mining in Ghana, the NPP accused the NDC government of lacking the commitment to fight illegal mining (galamsey), leading to the worsening destruction of Ghana’s forests and water bodies.
He alleged that illegal miners now operate with impunity under the NDC government, with some of them reportedly receiving protection from recruited militants.
To this end, the NPP called for urgent action, including the complete repeal of Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, which regulates mining in forest reserves. Ahiagbah reminded President Mahama that he had promised during his campaign to revoke the LI, but has yet to do so.
He further accused the NDC of making secret campaign promises to illegal miners to secure votes during the 2024 elections, alleging that the current government is turning a blind eye to galamsey activities as a result.
Ahiagbah also criticised the government’s recent launch of the Blue Water Guards to combat illegal mining, arguing that it was a mere publicity stunt. He called for stronger security intervention, including the deployment of well-equipped military and police personnel to mining hotspots.
He said the worsening galamsey situation is evidence of thezisations to hold the government accountable for its inaction.
On the Attorney-General’s update on ORAL, Richard Ahiagbah accused the Attorney General of lacking confidence in the evidence gathered against former government officials, opting instead for a “media trial” to damage the party’s reputation.
He claimed that the government has placed individuals in the security agencies to intimidate NPP members and create public disaffection towards the party.
Ahiagbah declared that Ghanaians will judge the government not by its media narratives but by its actual performance, particularly in the areas of governance and economic management, and warned that any attempt to use legal and security institutions as tools for political persecution will ultimately fail.
By: Isaac Clottey
