Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, has said if Ghanaians are feeling palpable hardship, what is the essence of economic gains.
The Assin Central MP criticised the government’s economic narrative, stressing that the macroeconomic indicators mean little if Ghanaians continue to face severe hardship.
Speaking on the floor of parliament during the debate of the 2026 State of the Nation Address presented by John Dramani Mahama, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour stated, “Amid all the threats in our geopolitics and amid the threat of extremism and violent extremism and terrorism, we cannot continue to have these calls go on deaf ears”.
“Today we can boast about inflation going down, we can boast about the exchange rate going down, but if our citizens are feeling palpable hardship, then what is the essence of what appears to be declining?” he asked.
He added, “What shall it profit this government if you are bragging about artificial economic improvement when you are not even able to pay cocoa farmers what is due them for four good months?”
“What shall it profit a country to have exchange rates that appear to be low and inflation that appears to be low, when the government even fails to pay the pensions of our soldiers and the rent allowances of our hardworking prison officers?” he added.
Also, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has quizzed the John Mahama government whether Ghanaians are going to eat inflation.
Afenyo-Markin highlighted that what is inflation on paper when it has no effect in the pocket of the ordinary Ghanaian.
According to him, macroeconomic stability can be achieved on paper for the IMF and World Bank, but the real stability is when the Ghanaian people go to the market and experience lower prices.
Speaking to the media after President John Mahama delivered the 2026 State of the Nation Address, Afenyo-Markin stated, “He talks about inflation having come down. Are we going to eat inflation? What is inflation on paper when it does not affect the pocket of the ordinary Ghanaian?”
“If the President is talking about Macroeconomic stability, you can achieve stability on paper for the IMF and World Bank, but the real stability is when the Ghanaian people go to the market and experience lower prices on foodstuffs.
But when they are complaining, you cannot use paper inflation to claim credit and ask us to applaud you. We will not applaud the government, we are not interested”.
In parliament, speaking in response to the 2026 State of the Nation Address, Afenyo-Markin quizzed President John Dramani Mahama if Ghanaans are going to eat macroeconomic indicators and inflation.
According to Afenyo-Markin, the cocoa farmers have reduced the producer price, and Ghanaians continue to suffer under galamsey hardship.
Speaking in response to the 2026 State of the Nation Address, Afenyo-Markin stated, “As we speak, there is a scandal looming in security services recruitment, Trybe Net. We know who brought that company to the Ministry. Karma has a way, and the Minority will pursue the person and make sure there is full disclosure.
“The cocoa farmers have reduced the producer price, and Eric Opoku cannot be found, and they are telling us, Inflation, macroeconomics, Macroeconomics ‘na ye be di…Ghanaians continue to suffer under galamsey hardship, and we expect concrete action to be taken on galamsey.