Former Tarkwa Member of Parliament, George Mireku Duker has criticised the John Mahama-led administration for what he describes as an excessive focus on arrests and political commentary instead of addressing Ghana’s economic challenges.
According to Mireku Duker, the government should concentrate on delivering the jobs, economic opportunities and improved living conditions it promised Ghanaians, particularly the country’s youth.
Speaking during a panel discussion on Ghana’s economy on Saturday, August 8, 2026, the former MP said the administration was “majoring on minor issues” by giving too much attention to comments made by individuals.
He argued that Ghanaians voted for the government with expectations of economic transformation, especially through its flagship 24-hour economy policy.
Mireku Duker said young people expected the policy to create employment and business opportunities across different times of the day rather than live in an environment where they feared arrest for expressing political opinions.
“If a 24-hour economy is coming, then we must be serious and expect something meaningful, something impactful,” he said.
Mr Duker also criticised what he described as the excessive use of state authority in dealing with individuals over political statements.
He said Ghanaians were not promised that they would be arrested or intimidated for expressing their views when the government was campaigning for power.
According to him, recent arrests and prosecutions could create the perception that the government was more interested in demonstrating its authority than solving pressing national problems.
He urged the administration to redirect its attention towards policies capable of improving the lives of ordinary citizens, particularly unemployed young people.
Mr Duker acknowledged that citizens have a responsibility to be careful about what they say publicly but maintained that such controversies should not overshadow broader economic and development concerns.
His comments follow the New Patriotic Party’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration held on August 6, 2026. The protest was organised over what the party described as threats to democratic freedoms and the arrest of some of its members and supporters over alleged comments.
