Richard Ahiagbah, the New Patriotic Party’s Director of Communications, has mounted a robust defense of the NPP’s economic stewardship, arguing that the current National Democratic Congress administration inherited a stable and recovering economy rather than the crisis they’ve claimed.
Speaking on Good Morning Ghana, Ahiagbah pushed back against NDC assertions that the economy was in poor shape when they took office. He pointed to Ghana’s 2024 growth rate of 5.7%, a figure he said was confirmed by international financial institutions, as evidence of the NPP’s successful economic management before leaving power.
“If they are slow in building the economy, that is their responsibility,” Ahiagbah said during the monitored interview. “They cannot blame the opposition.”
The communications director contrasted what he described as the current government’s sluggish performance with the NPP’s track record during their time in office. He emphasized sectoral growth achievements and job creation initiatives that his party implemented, suggesting these accomplishments laid a foundation the NDC should be building upon rather than criticizing.
International bodies including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank have documented Ghana’s economic recovery, supporting Ahiagbah’s claims about the state of the economy at the time of the transition. The growth figures represent a significant rebound from the macroeconomic challenges that plagued the country in 2022 and 2023.
However, Ahiagbah didn’t shy away from pointing out what he sees as failures by the current administration. He specifically highlighted two major campaign promises that remain largely unimplemented: the 24 hour economy initiative and the Feed Ghana program. Both initiatives were centerpiece proposals during the NDC’s campaign, yet months into their tenure, little progress has been made on either front.
“They cannot blame the opposition,” he reiterated, placing responsibility squarely on the ruling party’s shoulders.
The NPP official argued that the real challenge facing Ghana isn’t the economic foundation that was left behind but rather what he characterized as a lack of political will and prompt execution from the current government. In his view, the Mahama administration should be using the inherited economic growth as a launching pad for further development rather than as an excuse for inaction.
Ahiagbah stressed that the current government needs to act decisively if it wants to maintain and accelerate the economic momentum. He suggested that blaming previous administrations, while politically convenient, won’t translate into tangible improvements for Ghanaians who are waiting to see the promised economic transformation materialize.
Ghana’s economic stabilization has been supported by policy tightening, improved reserves, and currency appreciation, creating what Ahiagbah considers favorable conditions for the NDC to implement their development agenda.
The debate over economic inheritance has become a recurring theme in Ghanaian politics, with incoming administrations often criticizing their predecessors’ economic management. But with concrete growth figures now available, the NPP is using those numbers to challenge the NDC’s narrative and defend their own legacy.
As Ghana moves forward, the question remains whether the current administration can capitalize on what international observers have called a genuine economic recovery. For Ahiagbah and the NPP, the answer will determine whether the NDC’s criticisms were justified or simply political positioning.