A year after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) returned to power on the promise of a national “reset,” sharp criticism has emerged from the oppos
A year after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) returned to power on the promise of a national “reset,” sharp criticism has emerged from the opposition, questioning whether the benefits of improved macroeconomic indicators are reaching ordinary Ghanaians.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye, Communications Director of the Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia campaign team, has launched a sweeping critique of the government’s first 12 months, arguing that despite falling inflation and a stronger cedi, the living reality for citizens has deteriorated.
In a series of post, Dennis Miracles’ central argument rests on what he describes as a contradiction at the heart of the current economic narrative.
According to him, inflation has reportedly dropped from about 23 per cent to single digits, while the cedi has appreciated against the US dollar from roughly GH¢14 to between GH¢10 and GH¢11. In orthodox economic terms, such trends should translate into easing prices and lower cost of living.
However, he contends that market prices for goods and services continue to rise “at an astronomical rate,” leaving households worse off despite the positive headline figures.
Placing the criticism in context, Dennis Miracles recalls that the NDC campaigned heavily on economic relief, job creation, and improved social outcomes, particularly targeting young voters and first-time participants in national elections.
He argues that the credibility of any economic recovery should be judged not by statistical reports but by whether workers, families, and small businesses feel tangible relief in their daily lives.
One of the sharpest points raised concerns public sector remuneration.
Dennis Miracles questions how an economy described as “thriving” could, in his words, pay some public servants the equivalent of only one month’s salary over a twelve-month period.
He contrasts this with previous policy periods and argues that delayed or partial salary payments undermine claims of fiscal stability.
He also criticises the government’s reported decision to increase public sector wages by about nine per cent at a time when utility tariffs have risen far more steeply.
On utilities, Miracles points to increases of approximately 28 per cent in electricity tariffs and 15 per cent in water tariffs within the first year of the NDC administration.
He contrasts this with the first two years of the previous government, 2017 and 2018, when no utility tariff increases were implemented but rather cut down. For workers whose salaries have grown modestly, he argues, higher utility bills effectively cancel out any nominal wage gains.
Employment promises form another major pillar of the critique. During the campaign, the NDC pledged automatic posting for newly trained nurses and teachers, as well as the introduction of a 24-hour economy featuring three-shift systems across public institutions.
He noted that more than 150,000 trained nurses remain at home without placement, while close to 35,000 young people have allegedly lost or been denied public sector appointments within the first year of the new administration even though they had appointment letters from the previous administration.
He argues that these developments stand in stark contrast to campaign assurances of mass employment and expanded work opportunities.
The health and education sectors are also cited as areas where, according to Dennis Miracles, progress has reversed rather than advanced.
He raises concerns about the reported suspension of digital medical records in some facilities, warning that patients are now being treated without access to historical health data.
He similarly criticises the reduced functionality of drone delivery systems that were previously used to transport medical supplies to hard-to-reach areas, describing these setbacks as emblematic of policy regression.
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