Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has slammed President John Dramani Mahama’s approach to tackling unemployment, accusing him of prioritizing layoffs instead of creating new jobs.

Afenyo-Markin’s remarks came in the wake of Chief of Staff Julius Debrah’s directive to annul all public sector appointments and recruitments made after December 7, 2024, due to concerns about proper governance practices.

During his speech in Parliament, following the President's State of the Nation Address, Afenyo-Markin pointed out that although President Mahama acknowledged that 2.2 million Ghanaians are unemployed, his administration has primarily focused on dismissals rather than addressing the root cause of joblessness.

“Mahama has today told us that we have 2.2 million Ghanaians unemployed. But what he has forgotten is that in his administration, in less than 100 days, all we know is ‘sack them.

He added that the public’s reaction shows disappointment with the President’s actions, highlighting that “Mr Speaker, on the streets of Accra today, the youth of this country are saying that under Mahama, there have been a lot of terminations".

The Effutu MP urged President Mahama to confront governance challenges directly, rather than just voicing complaints. He emphasized that the President should act to resolve any issues surrounding the economy.

According to Mr. Afenyo-Markin, the President repeatedly presented Parliament with familiar complaints, disguised as if the nation was entering a new phase.

“The President again came to this house with a familiar story—the usual lamentations. He packaged it in a language as though we have a new beginning. Mr Speaker, if the President has any concerns, his duty is to fix them,” he emphasised.

He also expressed disapproval of the President's handling of governance, particularly regarding his statement on cutting the number of ministers.

“The President says that he has delivered fewer ministers, but it is clear that his strategy is ‘less is more’—yet, while appointing fewer ministers, he has increased the number of presidential staffers and committees,” he said.