Wednesday, April 16, 2025, marked exactly 100 days of the John Dramani Mahama–Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang administration.
There certainly has been no dull moment in the first 100 days of the administration with statements and actions of the government becoming the major talking points almost on a daily basis.
In the current administration’s bid to achieve its promises to Ghanaians, the government has taken action that has seemingly divided the public.
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), in its bid to hold the government in check, has also taken actions that have not sat well with a section of the public.
Here are the major talking points in the first 100 days of the John Dramani Mahama government.
Chaos during ministerial vetting:
Though President John Dramani Mahama got the approval of his ministerial and deputy ministerial appointees in record time, the vetting of these appointees was not always a walk in the park for the ruling government.
The vetting often saw clashes between members of the Majority and Minority Caucuses on the Appointments Committee of Parliament with the minority staging series of walkouts due to disagreements between the chair of the committee, Bernard Ahiafor, and the ranking member of the committee, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin.
The clash between the members of the committee resulted in an altercation during vetting on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
The altercation stemmed from the arguments on the vetting of Minister of Health-designate Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and Minister of Foreign Affairs-designate Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The Minority Caucus accused the Majority Caucus of violating an agreement to vet only four nominees for the day, therefore resulting in heated exchanges.
Tensions escalated into physical confrontations with the dissenting parties destroying microphones and furniture and turning the tables in the vetting room.
ORAL arrests:
The first 100 days of the Mahama government have seen the arrest of former appointees of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who were implicated in the 280 corruption-related cases in the report of the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) committee.
Some of the Akufo-Addo appointees arrested included:
1. Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi – Former Minister of Education
The former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, was detained by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) on Sunday, February 23, 2025, over his alleged involvement in the failed $3 billion Accra Sky Train project.
His arrest took place at Kawukudi near Nima in the Greater Accra Region.
2. Gifty Oware-Mensah – Former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA)
Former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority, Gifty Oware-Mensah, was also detained by the NIB.
Reports indicate that she was taken into custody on Friday, March 7, 2025, detained and released later.
Her detention is linked to an ongoing NIB investigation into payroll fraud during her tenure at the NSA.
3. Kwaku Ohene Gyan (Osonoba) – Former Deputy Director in Charge of Operations at the NSA
Former Deputy Director in Charge of Operations at the National Service Authority (NSA), Kwaku Ohene Gyan, also known as Osonoba, was detained by the NIB on February 22, 2025.
According to a news report, two pickup vehicles reportedly trailed him from town before arresting him and transporting him to the NIB headquarters.
The reason for his arrest remains unclear but it is believed to be linked to the ongoing NSA payroll fraud investigation which uncovered allegations of ghost names fraudulently added to the payroll.
Ohene Gyan was interrogated by NIB officials on February 23, 2025 and later released.
4. Kwabena Adu-Boahene – Former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau
Kwabena Adu-Boahene, the former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), was arrested in connection with an alleged diversion of public funds meant for a cybersecurity defence system.
Addressing the press on Monday, March 24, 2025, Attorney General Dr Dominic Ayine stated that Adu-Boahene was implicated in an unauthorised transfer of $7 million, originally allocated for cybersecurity infrastructure, into his private accounts.
Raid of homes of Akufo-Addo appointees:
Another key talking point in the Mahama administration is the raid by security personnel at the homes of appointees of the Akufo-Addo government.
Akufo-Addo appointees whose homes have been raided by security officials over ongoing investigations into corruption cases include:
1. Former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta
2. Former Director of Operations at the Presidency, Lord Kommey
3. Former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison
4. Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Superintendent Yakubu Issahaku.
Cocaine bust and allegations:
There have also been a number of cocaine busts and allegations of cocaine smuggling in the Mahama government in its first 100 days. They include:
1. $350m cocaine bust
The National Intelligence Bureau intercepted substances believed to be cocaine, concealed in sacks and bags hidden under heaps of sand in a tipper truck.
The substance was reported to weigh 3,319.66 kilograms (3.3 tonnes) with an estimated street value of approximately $350 million.
Preliminary field testing conducted by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) confirmed the substance as cocaine.
The tipper truck was arrested at Pedu Junction in Cape Coast in the Central Region en route to Accra.
2. $150m cocaine bust
On March 4, 2025, the National Intelligence Bureau seized approximately 120 slabs of cocaine with an estimated street value of $150 million on the Takoradi–Cape Coast Highway.
The drugs were found concealed and transported in a Hogvan truck, wrapped in green plastic bags.
Following the bust, the driver of the truck was arrested while other accomplices remain at large.
3. Ntim Fordjour’s allegation of cocaine smuggling:
The Assin South MP, who is also the Minority’s Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee in Parliament, claimed at a press conference on April 1, 2025, that two flights—an air ambulance and a private jet—might have been involved in drug trafficking or money laundering.
He alleged that one of the aircraft, AirMED Flight N823AM, landed in Ghana on March 20 and stayed for five days without any record of transporting a patient.
Cancellation of taxes:
Another major talking point of the 100 days of the Mahama government was its achievement of a number of its main campaign promises in the 2025 budget statement.
The achievement which caught the attention of the public the most was the promise to cancel a number of taxes.
The taxes cancelled by the government include:
– Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy)
– Betting tax
– VAT on motor vehicle insurance policy
– Tax on mining of unprocessed gold by small-scale miners
Health of Vice President Prof Opoku-Agyemang:
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who is currently on a three-week medical leave, underwent medical treatment after falling ill on Friday, March 28, 2025.
After receiving initial care at the University of Ghana Medical Centre in Accra, the Vice President had to seek further treatment overseas.
Speaking at a community engagement in Lagos, Nigeria, on April 6, 2025, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa reassured Ghanaians that Prof. Opoku-Agyemang is recuperating and will soon return to her duties.
He credited her advancement to the prayers and support of Ghanaians.
Ablakwa also dismissed what he described as “vicious and unGhanaian propaganda” while addressing rumors about the vice president’s health and urged the public to focus on her resilience and achievements.
BAI/AME
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