Gomoa Central MP Kwame Asare Obeng, widely known as A-Plus, has dismissed accusations that President John Mahama’s recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) was overly pessimistic, arguing the speech merely amplified frustrations already expressed by citizens and even members of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
“Critics claim the President came to lament, but if so, he simply echoed the lamentations of the very administration that left this economy in tatters,” A-Plus declared in a heated parliamentary debate. He reminded colleagues that NPP lawmakers had themselves publicly demanded then-President Akufo-Addo dismiss Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in 2023 amid spiraling inflation and debt crises. “Ghanaians didn’t just complain—they delivered the NPP’s worst electoral defeat in the Fourth Republic. That’s the loudest lament of all,” he stated, referencing the governing party’s 2024 poll losses.
The outspoken legislator insisted Mahama’s address reflected grassroots realities. “The President articulated what market women, drivers, and unemployed graduates have been shouting for years: this economy is broken, and past leaders failed to fix it,” he said.
A-Plus also doubled down on defending Mahama’s controversial 24-hour economy proposal, challenging skeptics to engage with its details rather than dismiss it outright. “How does round-the-clock productivity not create jobs? Imagine shift work in agriculture, ports, and manufacturing—this isn’t fantasy. It’s how modern economies thrive,” he argued, urging opponents to “move beyond soundbite politics” and scrutinize the policy’s framework.
Political analysts note A-Plus’s rebuttal underscores deepening partisan divides over blame for Ghana’s economic woes. While NPP members accuse Mahama of recycling complaints without solutions, the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) frames the SONA as a candid diagnosis prerequisite to recovery.
“The 24-hour economy debate is a microcosm of this clash,” said Accra-based commentator Eric Ahianyo. “Mahama’s team sees it as innovative; opponents call it vague. But A-Plus’s point about the NPP’s own admissions of failure complicates their criticism.”
As Parliament braces for policy battles, A-Plus’s remarks signal the NDC’s strategy: tying current hardships directly to the previous administration while positioning Mahama as a conduit for public anger. Yet with austerity measures looming, the government faces mounting pressure to translate “lamentations” into tangible relief—a task that will define its legitimacy in the volatile months ahead.
