Former Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei Asare has strongly opposed President John Dramani Mahama’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in his second term, arguing that it lacked a concrete plan for governance.

In his speech on Thursday, February 27, 2025, President Mahama outlined the country’s economic difficulties and assured Ghanaians of efforts to restore stability.

However, Osei Asare, who also represents Atiwa East in Parliament, dismissed the address, describing it as an attempt to instill fear, make lofty promises, and shift accountability.

She also criticized the President for failing to provide details on how he intends to secure resources for the proposed social programs.

“President John Dramani Mahama’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA) was expected to set the tone for his administration’s governance agenda. Instead, it was a predictable mix of economic doom-saying, political blame-shifting, and populist promises without a credible funding plan.

“In addition to creating a gloomy picture of the economy he has inherited, the President has outlined heavy expansionary fiscal policies that, at best, may be considered populist and unsustainable. It is ironic that, on the one hand, the President describes the economy as being in an intensive care unit (ICU), yet, on the other hand, he is pushing for massive new social intervention programs without indicating how they will be financed.’