A member of the New Patriotic Party’s Upper East Regional Communications Directorate, Daniel Agengre, has criticized President John Dramani Mahama’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA), accusing the government of failing to deliver on key campaign promises, particularly job creation and the fight against illegal mining.
Speaking to Seidu Mutawakil on A1 Radio, Agengre questioned the progress of the government’s flagship One Million Coders Programme, which aims to train one million young Ghanaians in coding to enhance employment opportunities.
He claimed that after one year in office, the government had trained only 859 young people.
“If you have finished one year, you can’t even do up to a thousand,” he said, arguing that the pace of implementation makes it unlikely the target will be achieved within the administration’s remaining term.
Mr. Agengre also challenged the rollout of the government’s proposed 24-hour economy policy, another major campaign pledge of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He said the party had promised incentives such as special electricity meters that would reduce tariffs for businesses operating extended hours.
According to him, those measures have not materialized.
“We have finished one full year. Do we have those meters?” he asked, adding that instead of reductions, electricity tariffs have increased.
He further criticized the concept of three-shift job arrangements under the 24-hour economy proposal, arguing that the policy was intended to expand employment by allowing multiple workers to occupy the same role in shifts. He questioned where such arrangements are currently being implemented.
On illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, Mr. Agengre accused the government of failing to act decisively despite campaigning strongly on the issue. He alleged that in some districts, illegal mining activities are effectively being tolerated and claimed that certain local authorities were issuing stickers to operators in exchange for fees.
He also criticized what he described as a shift in focus toward treating polluted water rather than addressing the root causes of environmental degradation. He referenced reports suggesting that significant sums, over $200 million, could be required to treat polluted water bodies.
“When you know the source of the problem, you are not killing the source. You want to go and treat the water,” he said.
Mr. Agengre also questioned figures cited in the president’s address regarding agricultural support, particularly a claim that 720 birds had been distributed to 13,000 farmers, suggesting the numbers required further clarification.
He further accused the government of failing to sustain allowances promised to assembly members and of not fulfilling pledges made to teachers and nurses, including rural allowances and vehicle import waivers.
“Teachers today are not smiling. Nurses are not smiling,” he said.
While acknowledging that macroeconomic indicators such as inflation and exchange rates may show improvement on paper, Mr. Agengre argued that ordinary Ghanaians are struggling with rising living costs and reduced purchasing power.
“The true state of the nation is that every Ghanaian’s pocket is in quagmire,” he said.
Mr. Agengre maintained that beyond official statistics, the everyday realities of rent, utilities and basic goods paint a different picture from what was presented in the president’s address.
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith | Bolgatanga
