Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Member of Parliament for Effutu and Minority Leader, has blamed the  Mahama administration for abandoning key initiatives introduced under the Akufo-Addo government, which he claims has exacerbated Ghana’s unemployment crisis.

Speaking at the Asante Students Union's grand durbar, homecoming, and handing-over ceremony at the University of Ghana on Sunday, August 17, 2025, Afenyo-Markin criticised the scrapping of flagship policies like the One District One Factory (1D1F) programme and the suspension of tax exemptions that had previously encouraged investment and job creation.

“More than one in every four Ghanaians wakes up each morning with no meaningful job to go to. Our overall unemployment rate is nearly 15%, according to official sources. When young people can’t find jobs, it is not just an economic problem; it becomes a threat to our national security in a region experiencing various forms of armed conflict,” he said.

He further argued that the removal of 1D1F and tax incentives had “destroyed” opportunities for long-term, sustainable employment.

“This is what it means—when the government fails to create the right economic environment to inspire the creation of new jobs, young people must innovate to create their own. When leaders won’t build opportunities, the next generation of leaders must build them from scratch. The choice is simple: either we solve the unemployment crisis, or it will solve us in ways we won’t like,” he said.

The Minority Leader also expressed concern over the growing pile of unpaid loans, especially under the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC).

“Over GH¢291 million loaned to small businesses through MASLOC remains unpaid after 12 years, as of February last year. In our banking sector, GH¢654 million vanished as bad debt in just five months this year."

“In the momo sector, people borrow and simply disappear into the digital darkness. This culture is a cancer eating at our economic soul,” he warned.

Afenyo-Markin urged the government to create a more business-friendly environment to stimulate innovation, investment, and sustainable job creation, stressing that urgent action is needed to prevent further economic decay.