Patricia Appiagyei
The Minority in Parliament has delivered a scathing assessment of President John Dramani Mahama’s first year back in office, accusing the government of economic mismanagement, weakened governance, and a growing failure to protect livelihoods, security and democratic accountability.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday, January 8, 2026, the Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, said the government’s celebration of its first anniversary in office masked what she described as a “relapse” rather than a reset in national governance.
According to her, while government communicators have touted macroeconomic indicators such as six percent GDP growth, falling inflation and a more than 40 percent appreciation of the cedi, these figures do not reflect sustainable economic recovery or improvements in the lives of ordinary Ghanaians.
Ms. Appiagyei argued that much of the recent economic stability predated President Mahama’s return to power and was anchored in an IMF programme, fiscal consolidation measures, and favourable global gold prices initiated or negotiated under the previous administration.
She warned that the same IMF report cited by government also flagged serious risks, including quasi-fiscal exposures and losses from gold-related schemes, which she said were being deliberately downplayed.
Central to the Minority’s criticism was the Gold-for-Reserves programme, which it described as a “disaster” under the current administration.
Ms. Appiagyei said IMF findings indicated losses of US$214 million within nine months of the programme’s operation in 2025, an outcome she described as unacceptable, particularly in a global gold bull market.
She accused the GoldBod and the Bank of Ghana of misleading the public by conflating agency fee income with the actual financial performance of the gold trading programme.
According to her, the IMF findings pointed to excessive off-taker fees and poor operational decisions as key drivers of the losses.
The Deputy Minority Leader also raised concerns about the role of the Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr. Johnson Asiama, questioning the level of oversight exercised by the Central Bank and criticising its response to the IMF report, which she said focused on denial rather than investigation.
Beyond the gold sector, the Minority accused the government of neglecting farmers, citing instances of rice and tomato produce rotting due to lack of storage, processing and timely intervention, while millions of dollars were lost through what it called questionable gold schemes.
Ms. Appiagyei further highlighted what she described as worsening insecurity across the country, pointing to rising cases of armed robbery, murders involving illicit arms, kidnappings and persistent communal and chieftaincy conflicts.
She said these developments had eroded public confidence in the state’s ability to protect lives and property.
The Minority also criticised the government over job losses in the public sector, delays in delivering the promised 24-hour economy, and what it described as selective accountability in the fight against corruption.
Calling for action, Ms. Appiagyei urged Parliament to immediately establish bipartisan select committees to investigate the US$214 million Gold-for-Reserves losses, including the approval of off-taker contracts and the role of state institutions involved.
She said the Minority would continue to press for transparency, accountability and respect for constitutional governance, insisting that “Ghana must be set on a sustainable, just and transparent path.”
By Ernest Kofi Adu