Mahama administration — current Ghanaian government led by President John Mahama, facing criticism on tariff increases, staffing transparency, and job creation progress.
Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has rejected claims by Damongo Member of Parliament Samuel Abu Jinapor that the Mahama administration has inflated the Office of Government Machinery with political appointees, thereby increasing the go …
… t politics,” he said. “If you look at the size of government just on the basis of the number of ministers and deputy ministers appointed, you will get it totally wrong.” The ranking member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee explained that although the Mahama administration …
… According to him, while the current administration must take responsibility for completing the project, the delays originated under the previous government. “Now that we are here, the Mahama administration should complete it,” he added. …
Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammy Awuku, has accused the Mahama administration of failing to deliver on its campaign promise to create jobs for young people, arguing that many youths have yet to experience any meaningful improvement in their livelihoods nearly two yea …
Former Presidential Legal Adviser Kow Essuman has challenged the Mahama administration to publish the Presidency’s 2024 staffing report, saying the government’s silence on the issue raises serious transparency concerns. …
… According to him, the Mahama administration has not altered those approved conditions, nor acted outside constitutional requirements governing such remuneration frameworks. …
Former Legal Counsel to former President Nana Akufo-Addo, Kow Essuman, has accused the Mahama administration of breaching the law by allegedly failing to submit the annual staffing report for the Office of the President covering the 2024 calendar year. …
Abuakwa South MP and member of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, has called on the Mahama administration to immediately operationalise the completed Trede Agenda 111 Hospital in the Ashanti Region, arguing that the facility could help ease mounting pressure on …
The Mahama administration may be preparing to intensify efforts to secure the return of former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to Ghana, to face criminal prosecution following a disclosure that Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, is scheduled to engage o …
The Mahama administration may be preparing to intensify efforts to secure the return of former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to Ghana, to face criminal prosecution following a disclosure that Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, is scheduled to engage o …
Ghana's opposition NPP Minority has called for full disclosure on the government's acquisition of two refurbished diesel locomotives and 20 freight wagons for the Tema–Mpakadan railway line, describing the locomotives as relics from the "Margaret Thatcher era" and questioning whether Ghana is investing in outdated equipment at the expense of efficiency and value for money.
Why it matters
The NPP Minority's scrutiny of Ghana's purchase of refurbished locomotives raises legitimate questions about value-for-money and technology choices in railway investment.
Ghana's opposition NPP Minority has called for full disclosure on the government's acquisition of two refurbished diesel locomotives and 20 freight wagons for the Tema–Mpakadan railway line, describing the locomotives as relics from the "Margaret Thatcher era" and questioning whether Ghana is investing in outdated equipment at the expense of efficiency and value for money.
Former TVET Director-General Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah has raised concerns over inadequate investment in Ghana's TVET sector, stating that teacher shortages and insufficient funding for training materials are undermining technical education. He noted that the government has recruited only about 1,000 teaching and non-teaching staff for TVET institutions under the current administration and called for greater commitment to TVET infrastructure, staffing, and consumables.
Ghana's parliamentary Minority has criticised the Mahama administration for raising electricity tariffs, arguing the increase contradicts government claims of economic recovery marked by cedi appreciation and declining inflation. According to the Minority, Ghanaians should be experiencing relief in living costs rather than higher utility bills if macroeconomic gains are real.
The Minority in Parliament has challenged the Mahama administration over the latest increase in electricity tariffs, arguing that the rise contradicts government claims of economic recovery, citing the appreciation of the cedi, declining inflation, and easing interest rates. The PURC announced the tariff increase barely months after consumers received a marginal reduction.
Gordon Asare-Bediako, an NPP National Communications Director hopeful, has criticized the NDC's "Strategic Recommendations for Countering Propaganda," arguing that a performing government does not need communication battle plans and that the memo reveals the Mahama administration's desperation and loss of the "reality war."
Nana Akomea, communications director for Bawumia's presidential campaign, has accused the Mahama administration of using internal investigations to clear public officials accused of wrongdoing—a practice he says mirrors what the NDC previously condemned. His comments followed an investigation by the Presidency into allegations of sole-sourcing of road contracts, inflated values, and irregular spending at the Ministry of Roads and Highways, which found no wrongdoing.
Former Minister for Works and Housing Francis Asenso-Boakye disclosed that the Akufo-Addo administration invested GH¢540 million in flood control interventions over eight years, with substantial funding directed towards drainage infrastructure and flood management capacity. He urged the current administration to sustain and expand such investments while emphasizing the importance of enforcing planning regulations to address persistent flooding.
Ghana's Parliamentary Minority Caucus has endorsed the Presbyterian Church of Ghana's nationwide anti-galamsey campaign, including a proposed "Red Sunday" observance, calling for a more institutionalised government approach to combating illegal mining and environmental degradation.
Member of Parliament Samuel Abdulai Jinapor has questioned characterizations of the Mahama administration as a "lean government," arguing that true government size must be assessed by examining appointments across the entire public sector, including ministries, departments, agencies, and diplomatic missions, rather than focusing only on ministers and deputy ministers. He cited an increase in deputy ambassadors as evidence that overall staffing and costs have not been reduced despite reductions in ministerial positions.
An editorial in The Chronicle urges the government to resolve a budget dispute between the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Food and Agriculture over GHC1.6 billion in funding for the national fertilizer subsidy programme. Farmers from multiple regions report that delayed fund release threatens Ghana's agricultural sector and food security gains as planting windows close.
Minister of State Felix Kwakye Ofosu rejected claims that the Mahama administration inflated the Office of Government Machinery with political appointees, saying current data show 233 political appointees under the Office of the President compared to 355 under the previous administration.
Damongo MP Samuel Jinapor argues that assessing government size requires examining broader compensation structures, presidential staffers, advisers, and appointees across state institutions—not just the count of ministers and deputy ministers. He contends that while the Mahama administration appointed fewer ministers than its predecessor, a true picture of government size emerges only after examining compensation expenditures under the Office of Government Machinery.
Political activist and physician Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy has criticised the previous NPP administration for failing to complete the Afari Military Hospital during its eight years in office, saying the party had no justification for the delays and should apologise. He added that the current Mahama administration should now take responsibility for completing the project.
Akuapem North MP Sammy Awuku has accused the Mahama administration of failing to deliver on campaign promises to create jobs for young people, citing slow progress on the Big Push programme—which aimed to employ 900,000 youth this year but had employed only about 10,000 by June—and arguing that youth unemployment remains a pressing national concern.
Former Presidential Legal Adviser Kow Essuman has challenged the Mahama administration to publish the Presidency's 2024 staffing report, arguing that government silence raises transparency concerns and that Ghanaians are entitled to know whether the obligation to submit the report was fulfilled.
Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu has rejected claims that the administration is selectively paying salary arrears to Presidential staff, stating that such payments are a routine feature of transitions between administrations and that the current salary structure was approved by Parliament in January 2025.
Kow Essuman, former Legal Counsel to President Nana Akufo-Addo, has accused the Mahama administration of breaching the law by failing to submit the annual staffing report for the Office of the President covering 2024, which was required by law to be submitted to Parliament by March 2025. Essuman noted that such reports were consistently submitted during the Akufo-Addo administration and called for the government to either release the report or confirm non-submission.
Abuakwa South MP Dr Kingsley Agyemang has called on the Mahama administration to operationalise the completed Trede Agenda 111 Hospital in the Ashanti Region to ease congestion at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, which has suspended new admissions. The 100-bed facility is fully equipped and commissioned but remains closed, requiring only staff to begin operations.
Attorney-General Dr Dominic Ayine is scheduled to meet US Department of Justice officials to discuss pending extradition requests between Ghana and the United States. The announcement, made by Minister for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has renewed focus on Ghana's extradition request regarding former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Ghana's Attorney-General Dr Dominic Ayine is scheduled to meet United States Department of Justice officials for bilateral discussion on pending extradition requests between the two countries. The announcement has renewed attention on Ghana's extradition request for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye, Director of Communications for the Bawumia Campaign Team, has criticised the Mahama administration for failing to present a clear and comprehensive strategy to address flooding in Accra, arguing that the government is lamenting the problem rather than outlining practical solutions.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says Ghana has successfully evacuated about 1,000 Ghanaian nationals from South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks, with government now focused on reintegration support, medical and psychosocial assistance, compensation for lost properties, and job opportunities for returnees.
Policy analyst Dr Steve Manteaw supports efforts to increase Ghanaian participation in mining, arguing that countries that derive the greatest value from natural resources actively participate in extraction. He points to public concern that Ghana is not receiving enough benefits from its mineral wealth, a sentiment reflected in debate over Gold Fields' Tarkwa mining lease renewal.
The Minority in Parliament has called on the Mahama administration to shift from political rhetoric to implementing policies that address unemployment and the rising cost of living. According to Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, the Ranking Member on Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, the government should focus on concrete solutions, particularly supporting private sector growth for sustainable job creation.
Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has defended the government's quick intervention to protect Ghanaians in South Africa's xenophobic attacks, saying critics who accused it of overreacting should now appreciate the decision following reports of fatalities. The Mozambican government confirmed five of its citizens have died in the violence.
Ghana's government has advised Ghanaians to avoid non-essential travel to South Africa due to rising xenophobic attacks targeting African nationals, which have caused injuries, property damage, and business takeovers. The government has lodged diplomatic protests, summoned South Africa's Acting High Commissioner, and petitioned the African Union in response.
The Government of Ghana has advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to South Africa following a reported rise in xenophobic attacks targeting African migrants and businesses. Ghana has begun evacuating affected citizens in response to the attacks, which it describes as being carried out by anti-immigrant vigilante groups.
Ghana officially launched an e-visa system on 25 May 2026 to modernize visa administration and simplify travel, with the government announcing that African passport holders will not be required to pay visa fees when using the platform.
Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu says Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) is delivering on its manifesto commitment, with prosecutions of former officials for corruption and abuse of office currently ongoing in court.
A senior researcher at CDD-Ghana cautions against broad attempts to criminalise speech, noting that Ghana's 2001 repeal of criminal libel laws was meant to limit circumstances for criminal sanctions, amid rising political tensions over the Mahama administration's alleged suppression of dissent and arrests of political opponents and critics.