Deputy Director of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and aspiring NDC Greater Accra Regional Officer, Nii Tetteh Laryea Cyril, has defended the economic record of the John Dramani Mahama administration while urging the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to reflect on the factors that contributed to its defeat in the 2024 elections.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme, Nii Tetteh Laryea argued that the performance of the current administration should be assessed against the economic conditions it inherited and the commitments it made to Ghanaians. He said economic performance should not be judged solely through political statements but also through measurable indicators that affect households, businesses and the wider economy.
Food inflation and economic conditions
He cited food inflation as one of the indicators that, in his assessment, demonstrates changes in economic conditions. According to him, food inflation was around 8 per cent in 2017 and increased to approximately 27.8 per cent by 2024. He said the reduction recorded since the change of government should be considered when assessing the administration’s economic management.
Nii Tetteh Laryea also pointed to developments in the foreign exchange market, stressing the importance of currency stability to businesses. According to him, a more stable currency environment enables businesses to forecast costs, plan investments and make decisions with greater certainty. He said businesses require a stable economic environment to expand their operations, invest and create employment, and therefore argued that developments in the currency environment should form part of the broader discussion about the government’s economic performance.
“Ghana will become a construction site”
Nii Tetteh Laryea also defended President Mahama’s campaign promise that Ghana would become a construction site, saying ongoing infrastructure projects demonstrate what he described as the government’s efforts to fulfil that commitment. He maintained that the administration’s Reset Agenda is not limited to economic stabilisation but also includes infrastructure development, employment creation and measures intended to improve the general business environment.
More than 86,000 youth employment opportunities
The YEA Deputy Director also highlighted youth employment as a major component of the government’s agenda. He claimed that more than 86,000 young Ghanaians had secured employment through government initiatives, stressing that providing employment opportunities for young people is critical because the youth represent an important part of the country’s future.
“Immediately you begin to build the youth of the country, then you are building the future of the country.”
He said creating jobs locally could also reduce the pressure on young Ghanaians to travel abroad in search of employment. Nii Tetteh Laryea argued that when young people work and earn incomes in Ghana, they contribute directly to the domestic economy while gaining opportunities to build their lives locally.
NPP must reflect on 2024 defeat
Nii Tetteh Laryea also called on the NPP to critically examine the reasons for its defeat in the 2024 elections instead of focusing exclusively on criticisms of the current government. He argued that the opposition party should examine its record in government, the economic challenges it faced and the concerns raised by voters.
According to him, the NPP should use its period in opposition to reorganise, reflect and identify the issues that contributed to its loss of power. He recalled that when the NDC was in opposition, its supporters and communicators strongly criticised the economic conditions under the then government.
He said political parties seeking to govern must therefore be prepared to account for their records and respond to concerns raised by the electorate.
Reset Agenda
Nii Tetteh Laryea maintained that the NDC returned to government with a promise to reset the economy and address challenges confronting Ghanaians. He argued that the administration’s economic management, infrastructure projects and youth employment initiatives should be considered as components of that broader agenda.
He urged Ghanaians to assess the government based on its programmes and their implementation, while encouraging the NPP to undertake a deeper reflection on its own political and economic record.
Story by Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah