Author: Richmond Keelson, Ontario, Canada

In the world of politics, opposition is often loud, combative, and sometimes even defiant. But on the day Ghana’s finance minister, Cassiel Ato Forson presented the new government’s 2025 budget statement, the usual fire and fury of the minority seemed to have fizzled out into an eerie silence. 

As he outlined policies and allocations that captured nearly every campaign promise of the NDC government, the faces of the opposition told a different story—one not of defiance, but of quiet resignation. When Ato ventured into the markets to seek the insights of Ghana’s biggest economists—the market women—the opposition dismissed it as mere populism, a wild goose chase.

But Ato knew better. Aligning with the very people who drive the grassroots economy was a masterstroke, a move that could send the opposition into perpetual hibernation. Perhaps, he recalled some strategic economic lessons from one of Ghana’s finest finance ministers, Prof. Kwesi Botchwey.

After all, from Ajumako Besiase, Ato’s hometown, to Agona Asafo, Kwesi’s birthplace, is just a stone’s throw away. While Kwesi will meet markets women after the presentation of his budgets, Ato did the reversal—interact with traders before the presentation of his budget. 

The body language of the minority members in Parliament was more revealing than any press conference or public statement they could have made. There was no fierce rebuttal, no passionate rejection—only stolen glances, forced nods, and the occasional shifting in seats, as if the weight of their own underperformance in government had finally caught up with them.

Even one notable MP was caught on camera sleeping—not because the presentation was boring, but as if he had been forced into a state of comatose by the sheer quality of the budget content. Like his colleagues, every inch of their planned heckling of the minister vanished into oblivion.

This was in stark contrast to previous budget presentations, where Ghanaian opposition members in Parliament would express their disagreements with spontaneous outbursts. In some instances, they even went as far as threatening the presenter of the statement, demanding that they leave the chamber.

Spontaneous Rendition of NDC Campaign Songs

And so, while the opposition sat in visible awe, struggling to craft an initial response that would resonate with their supporters, the majority side took full advantage of the moment. In a striking reversal of roles, government MPs burst into prolonged campaign songs, echoing their key campaign promises with themes loosely translated as: “JM (John Mahama) is a doer; the 24-hour economy is the masterstroke…” and more. Their excitement soared—and why not?

Indeed, the presentation was airtight, leaving no loophole for the opposition to exploit. Their joy stemmed from the meticulous allocation of funds across various sectors of Ghana’s economy. Highlights of the budget include:

• GH₵13.85 billion for the Big Push initiative, as termed by the finance minister.
• GH₵499.8 million to fund the No Academic-Free policy for first-year students in public tertiary institutions.
• GH₵299.24 million for the distribution of free sanitary pads to female students in primary and secondary schools.
• GH₵242.5 million to support victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage.
• GH₵200 million allocated for Ketu South tidal wave victims.
• GH₵3.5 billion for the continuation of the Free SHS program.
• GH₵1.778 billion for the School Feeding Program, among others.

With such bold commitments and concrete allocations, who wouldn’t celebrate? The opposition, however, found themselves in a state of hysteria. In a bizarre turn of events, the injury time finance minister of the NPP, Mohammed Amin Adam (Anta), momentarily woke up from his slumber, forgetting that it was the NPP government that implemented the controversial betting tax. His outright denial was not just shocking—it was an obvious falsehood.

Even more perplexing, his statement directly undermines the campaign promise of his party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who vowed to abolish the bet tax if elected in 2024. Yet, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), in its 2024 annual report, projected a revenue of GH₵60 million from betting taxes by the close of the football calendar. So, the big question is: Where did the GRA get its figures from?

Amidst this subdued atmosphere, minority leader, Alex Afenyo-Markin attempted to inject some energy into his colleagues. He tried to rally the minority, throwing around intangibles and desperately searching for a line of attack. But his efforts appeared more like a lonely struggle than a coordinated resistance. 

Time and again, he had to be nudged back to relevance by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumanu Bagbin as his points drifted away from the core discussion of the budget presentation by the finance minister. 

As Ato provided precise answers regarding the ambitious projects the NDC had promised Ghanaians, many party loyalists, though pleased with the day’s proceedings, likely look forward to seeing these promises materialize into tangible achievements—lest they become mere campaign rhetoric like in the past.

It was a moment that exposed a truth many had suspected but few had openly admitted: that in the loneliness of opposition, one is left only with the echoes of promises unfulfilled and opportunities wasted.