You Inherited 8th Largest Economy in Africa, Stop Claiming 2024 Gains, Walewale MP Tells Govt

Member of Parliament for Walewale, Hon. Abdul Kabiru Tiah Mahama, has sharply criticized the Finance Minister’s statement on Ghana’s new IMF engagement, accusing the government of presenting inherited economic gains as its own achievements.

Speaking in Parliament, Mahama said the Minister failed to acknowledge the state of the economy at the time of handover. “In 2024, they inherited a growth of 5.7 percent of GDP. The economy was not on its knees,” he said. “Inflation was not 54 percent when you took it. Inflation was 23 percent when you took over.”

The Walewale MP argued that major fiscal problems were created during the current administration’s previous tenure. “Who brought the energy sector mess? It was their government. They negotiated take-or-pay contracts that left us with huge debts,” he told the House. “Who collapsed the banking sector? We had to pay over 25 billion to save the banking sector.”

Mahama said Ghana’s ranking as the eighth largest economy in Africa was achieved in 2024, before the current government took office. “So why do you present the record of 2024 as if it were achieved in 2025?” he asked.

On Independent Power Producer negotiations, he insisted the process was initiated under former President Akufo-Addo. “Give credit to him. You are only concluding it and you want us to praise you for concluding something that the previous government had started.”

He also dismissed audits of arrears as new policy, stating similar exercises were carried out in 2018.

Mahama urged government to measure economic performance by public experience, not official data. “Go to the street. Ask the teachers what is the state of the economy. Ask the nurses. Go to the rural farmers. Ask them whether their rice farms are even getting market. Ask the market women whether they are able to feel the economy,” he said.

He described the government’s economic management as a “monumental failure” with a clear mismatch between data and reality. “What use will the data be when the people are not able to feel it in the pocket?”

On the new Programme Monitoring with Board Involvement, Mahama called it a “risky idea” and said government had not disclosed its conditions to Parliament. “They must come again to this House with a better statement,” he said.