The Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has appealed to party members in Kumasi to remain patient over government appointments, saying not all supporters can serve in President John Mahama’s administration.
Addressing party members at the NDC office at Amakom, Asiedu Nketiah acknowledged frustrations over the limited number of positions since the party returned to power but stressed that campaign promises had set a cap of 60 ministers.
“We fought hard for this victory. We are now left to benefit from our toils. Each and every one of you has been expectant and that was the motivation for your hard work. But the truth is that it is not possible for the President to appoint all party members to serve in his government,” he said.
Caution
He cautioned that continued dissatisfaction could weaken the party’s standing. Asiedu Nketiah also noted the NPP’s electoral strength in the Ashanti Region, urging members to remain united.
“The plea is that people won’t serve forever and so your time will come. If this continues this could send us to opposition and Bawumia or Ken Agyapong won’t appoint you to serve in his government,” he added, referencing rival politicians from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“NPP likes teasing and it would be worse in Ashanti Region, looking at how we won votes in their strongholds,” he said.
NPP reaction
Meanwhile, New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart Francis Adomako says rising frustration within the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ashanti Region shows the Mahama administration has failed to deliver on its sweeping job-creation commitments nearly a year after taking office.
Adomako who is the Ashanti Regional Organiser of the opposition party said remarks by the NDC’s regional chairman Augustus Nana Akwasi Andrews — who publicly acknowledged intense pressure from party supporters demanding jobs — reflect a broader collapse of confidence in President John Dramani Mahama’s promises, particularly the flagship 24-hour economy policy.
Failure
He said the growing discontent shows that supporters feel the NDC’s job-creation commitments have not translated into meaningful opportunities on the ground.
“You promised us that you will give us jobs — almost one year now, nothing has happened,” Adomako said, adding that the NDC pledged employment across “every single sector, every agency,” with assurances that people would be hired “in the morning, the afternoon and the evening.”
“The NDC are going around telling the public to stop expecting the government to create jobs, implying that employment opportunities will not materialize. People are beginning to feel that the NDC misled them to gain power.
“This is why the NDC Regional Chairman acknowledged that, at some point, he will have to face his supporters and account for the fact that they campaigned for the party, helped it win the election, and are still without jobs — which prompted him to hold that press conference.”
Urgent action
Adomako warned that unless the government provides clarity and concrete action on employment, discontent within the ruling party’s base is likely to intensify.
“There are already people in the system who are not employed,” he said. “These 60,000 graduates are going to add to the unemployed youth, and we don’t know where they are going. The government must present a clear plan for decent jobs. If we don’t plan well, this will become a national issue and not just an Ashanti problem.”
“Used and dumped”
The Ashanti Regional NDC Chairman’s frustration appears to support the opposition New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) view that the grassroots have been heavily relied upon during elections but often neglected afterward.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has criticised the Mahama administration for failing to deliver on job creation and economic transformation.
In a lengthy post on social media marking one year since Mahama’s inauguration, Afenyo-Markin said the youth who actively campaigned for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) now face unemployment and limited opportunities, while party elites benefit from government appointments and foreign postings.
“The youth who formed the vanguard of political campaigns have been abandoned,” he wrote. “They face the same unemployment and hopelessness as before, while party elites benefit from appointments and foreign missions.”
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