The Member of Parliament for Bekwai, Ralph Poku-Adusei, has criticised President John Dramani Mahama over what he describes as a disconnect between the government’s macroeconomic claims and the lived realities of ordinary Ghanaians.
Speaking in reaction to the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered in Parliament on Friday, 27th February 2026, the Bekwai legislator questioned both the length and substance of the address, arguing that it amounted more to a public lecture than an honest account of performance.
“The government has been in office for just one year, and it has taken two and a half hours to deliver a State of the Nation Address,” Mr. Poku-Adusei said. “What does that tell you? It tells me that you are giving a public lecture because there is virtually nothing concrete that you have done.”
The MP took particular aim at the government’s emphasis on fiscal discipline and improving macroeconomic indicators, including declining inflation and relative currency stability. While acknowledging that such indicators may appear positive on paper, he insisted they have not translated into tangible relief for struggling citizens.
“You talk about fiscal discipline. You talk about inflation coming down. You talk about the cedi appreciating against the dollar. But these are theories,” he stated. “Does that put food on the table of cocoa farmers who have not been paid? Does it put a roof over the head of the common Ghanaian?”
According to him, the “true state of the nation” is one marked by widespread hardship and economic stagnation, which he attributed to what he described as the government’s reluctance to spend.
“The government is simply not spending, and that is affecting you, and it is affecting me,” he said. “Until government spending stimulates the economy, nothing comes into your pocket. If you are not spending and at the same time you are bringing inflation down and stabilising the currency, then clearly you are imposing untold hardship on ordinary citizens.”
Mr. Poku-Adusei further criticised the administration over alleged delays in payments to cocoa farmers and what he described as unjustified job losses among the youth. He argued that fiscal discipline should not come at the expense of livelihoods.
“You cannot score marks for fiscal discipline when ordinary Ghanaians are suffering — when cocoa farmers are not being paid, when young people are being laid off, and when many families do not have money to buy food,” he said.
While conceding that the government has outlined several policy intentions and manifesto promises, the Bekwai MP maintained that there is little evidence of successful implementation so far.
“What we heard was largely a repetition of manifesto promises — what the government intends to do,” he said. “We will pray for the government to succeed. But as it stands now, the true state of the nation is that the government has not been able to execute any of its major policy promises successfully.”
In a related development, President John Dramani Mahama has praised what he describes as strong economic gains under his administration, declaring that Ghana has regained stability and renewed investor confidence.
The President adopted an upbeat tone as he reviewed measures implemented over the past year to revive the economy.
Speaking before Members of Parliament, government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and other invited guests, he said his administration had taken difficult but necessary steps to rebuild trust and credibility.
President Mahama recalled his previous appearance before the House, noting that he had pledged to pursue bold reforms to restore stability.
“I told this august house then, when I appeared before you last year, that we needed to take tough decisions to restore credibility and stability, and I can say with confidence today that Ghana is back and ready for business.
“The fundamentals are improving, and the path to sustain acceleration is very clear to everyone. From the outset, we resolved to choose discipline over waste, reform over excuses, and stability over speculation.”
He explained that achieving macroeconomic stability required firm leadership and sacrifice, with a deliberate focus on fiscal discipline to rein in spending and strengthen public confidence.
According to the President, choosing “discipline over waste” involved reducing unnecessary expenditure and ensuring value for money in public spending.
He added that prioritising “reform over excuses” meant confronting structural challenges head-on rather than blaming external factors and implementing corrective policies to promote long-term economic resilience and growth.
