The Minority in Parliament has intensified pressure on the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), accusing President Mahama’s administration of presiding over what they describe as a disturbing pattern of broken promises, misplaced priorities, and inconsistencies in national policy.
The latest confrontation erupted on Thursday when former Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, delivered a detailed and hard-hitting critique of the government’s performance and its 2026 budget plans.
Speaking during the budget debate, Nitiwul accused the governing NDC of shifting blame instead of taking responsibility for its own record. He admonished government MPs for speaking as though they were still in opposition, insisting that Ghanaians expected delivery, not excuses.
“You are in government, not in opposition. Stop lamenting and work,” he charged, challenging them to provide concrete evidence for claims of corruption instead of repeated political rhetoric.
The Minority’s central argument, however, focused on what they described as a worrying credibility gap.
According to Nitiwul, the NDC administration made 175 promises in the 2025 budget but has so far fulfilled only 30 per cent—a figure he said reflects poor governance and weak execution.
Even more troubling, he noted that a significant number of the achieved promises were built on foundations laid by the previous NPP government.
“Less than 30 percent has been achieved, and 70 per cent of the achieved work was started by the previous administration,” he stressed.
Despite this underperformance, Nitiwul pointed out that the Mahama government has returned with an even heavier list of commitments—222 promises in the 2026 budget.
The Minority contends that such expansion of commitments, without concrete delivery, erodes public trust.
“If you go and make promises you don’t fulfill, and the next year you make even more promises, nobody will listen to you,” he said.
He reminded Parliament that between 2019 and 2023, the NDC—then in opposition—strongly opposed moves by the Akufo-Addo administration to procure military aircraft, accusing the government of excessive spending. Yet, budget documents for 2026 now propose acquiring one long-range and one medium-range aircraft.
Dominic Nitiwul argued that Ghana has no operational need for long-range military aircraft, which are typically heavy-duty assets used by major military powers. This, he said, leaves only one plausible interpretation: the government intends to purchase VIP or presidential jets.
He displayed sample images to the House, stating, “This is how presidential aircraft look, and this is what they intend to buy—two of them.”
While reaffirming his support for military retooling, he criticized the government for what he described as a dramatic reversal of its earlier stance.
“You opposed this for five years. Nine months into office, you now want to buy not one but two VIP aircraft. Explain that to Ghanaians,” he demanded.
Nitiwul also revealed that the government had committed ₵9 billion over a three-year period to retool the Air Force, a figure he believes should prioritize combat aircraft rather than luxury travel for political leaders.
He reminded Parliament that the NPP administration had already initiated the procurement of six new-generation fighter jets, but the process stalled due to the entry into an IMF programme.
