By Felix Cofie
Progressive Alliance for Ghana (PAG) flagbearer, Dr John Enyonam Kpikpi, has questioned the credibility of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to transform Ghana’s economy, accusing both parties of failing to lay the country’s basic economic foundations despite nearly 34 years of political control.
Dr Kpikpi said the two dominant political parties had demonstrated an inability to deliver sustainable economic transformation, arguing that Ghana needed a new generation of leadership rather than recycled political promises.
His comments follow the presentation of the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, which places renewed emphasis on commercial agriculture, mineral value addition and building a modern Ghanaian economy.
Reacting to the budget, the PAG flagbearer questioned why Ghanaians should trust the NDC and NPP to achieve food self-sufficiency when neither party had established a comprehensive and sustainable national strategy towards that goal during its years in government.
“Both the NDC and the NPP have had this country to themselves since 1992: nearly 34 years. They could not get the basics of the nation in place — food self-sufficiency; not even any plan for it,” he stated.
He cited previous agricultural interventions, including the guinea fowl initiative and the Nkitinkitin programme, as examples of what he considers the failure of successive administrations to implement sustainable agricultural policies.
“The feeble attempts they’ve made saw the guinea fowls flying across the border! And the Nkitinkitin has already failed,” Dr Kpikpi remarked.
Kpikpi Questions Government’s Mineral Value Addition Agenda
Beyond agriculture, Dr Kpikpi questioned the government’s renewed commitment to mineral value addition, particularly against the background of controversies surrounding Ghana’s lithium resources.
He accused successive governments of disregarding calls for stronger lithium agreements that would guarantee greater local participation, domestic processing and retention of more economic benefits within the country.
According to him, the decision to proceed with the lithium arrangement despite concerns raised by critics undermines the credibility of the government’s latest economic transformation agenda.
“They rejected very strong calls not to throw away our lithium deposits to foreigners without value addition and a better contract that would retain the wealth here for the benefit of our peoples. They threw away our lithium anyway,” he said.
He questioned why mineral value addition had suddenly become a major government priority when, in his assessment, the country had failed to secure a more beneficial arrangement for its lithium resources barely 12 months earlier.
“Which light have they seen only 12 months later that is making them now talk about a mineral value addition economy?” he asked.
The PAG flagbearer argued that Ghana’s natural resources had been poorly managed under successive administrations, raising doubts about whether the same political establishment could deliver the fundamental changes outlined in the 2027 Budget.
‘They Are Too Deep Into the Bad Old Ways’
Dr Kpikpi maintained that Ghana’s economic difficulties were not simply the result of inadequate policies but were also linked to the credibility, interests and political practices of those responsible for implementing them.
He expressed doubts about the government’s ability to translate its budget commitments into tangible economic outcomes, insisting that the promises would remain largely rhetorical.
“They are too deep into the bad old ways to be able to make any positive changes. All they have said will end at the talking stage; it cannot be implemented given the depth of their compromise,” he declared.
He further argued that Ghana could not achieve meaningful economic transformation by continuing to alternate between the NDC and NPP, describing both parties as incapable of delivering the new direction the country requires.
“We cannot build a new economy with the old compromised parties and personnel,” he stressed.
PAG Positions Itself as Alternative
The PAG flagbearer called for a new generation of political leadership anchored in integrity, fresh ideas and a commitment to ensuring that Ghana’s natural resources and economic opportunities benefit its citizens.
He maintained that the country needed leaders capable of breaking away from what he described as the entrenched practices of the traditional political establishment.
“We need new people to usher in the new transformations for our nation,” Dr Kpikpi stated.
He subsequently presented the Progressive Alliance for Ghana as the political alternative capable of delivering the change he advocates.
“This is Dr John Kpikpi and the PAG Government!” he declared.
His comments add to the political debate surrounding the 2027 Budget, particularly the government’s plans to expand commercial agriculture, strengthen local industries, promote mineral value addition and reduce Ghana’s dependence on imports.
The criticism also raises broader questions about the credibility of successive governments’ economic transformation promises and whether Ghana can achieve sustainable development without significant changes in its political and economic governance.
