The Minority Leader of Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has expressed deep concern over the persistent failure of Ghana’s social intervention programmes, blaming the situation on widespread abuse, political patronage, and lack of accountability.
Speaking at the launch of the GrowLead Foundation, an NGO dedicated to empowering women, girls and marginalised communities in the five northern regions, Zongo communities and settler enclaves, the Effutu MP lamented that social programmes designed to uplift the poor have been turned into avenues for political exploitation.
“Every government in the Fourth Republic has introduced a social intervention programme to empower citizens, especially women and the informal sector, but many of these have failed because people refuse to pay back what they owe,” Afenyo-Markin said.
He cited examples from successive administrations, noting that despite their noble intentions and empowerment programmes collapsed due to non-payment and politicisation.
“Former President Rawlings introduced programmes to empower women and traders. They did not pay. President Kufuor came with MASLOC; people still did not pay. Professor Mills and President Mahama continued, same story. Then President Akufo-Addo came – chapter one and two – and yet people still refused to pay,” he lamented.
The Minority Leader revealed that the abuse of these interventions had even reached his constituency, with some beneficiaries defaulting on MASLOC loans guaranteed through his office.
“Just yesterday, I received a letter from MASLOC about constituency officers who took loans and never paid. They told the officers to write to me since I guaranteed for them. That’s how far the abuse has gone,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin warned that the cumulative effect of such irresponsibility has deepened national poverty and eroded public trust in social policy.
“The accumulation of these failed interventions, all meant to empower us, is part of why we remain poor as a nation,” he stressed and called on both the NPP and NDC to rise above partisanship and forge a united front for national renewal.
“We must rally around a new patriotic spirit. Ghana is one of the leading nations in West Africa, but we can do better. Let us stop the culture of entitlement and rebuild a sense of integrity and discipline,” he urged.
The Minority Leader further appealed to Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to play a more assertive role in holding politicians accountable and to push for sustained, non-partisan reform.
Turning to environmental issues, he bemoaned the politicization of the fight against illegal mining (galamsey), saying such attitudes threaten Ghana’s environmental and economic future.
To him, Ghana should be bold and end galamsey once and for all, and that political parties make it partisan, others respond in kind whilst the destruction continues.
Pivoting from governance to personal development, Afenyo-Markin urged young Ghanaians, particularly women, not to be disheartened by hardship.
“To my young ladies here, don’t despise your humble beginnings. Every successful person has a story to tell”.
Using the game of golf as a metaphor for life, he said setbacks should not define one’s future: “On the golf course, you can start well and end poorly, or start poorly and finish strong. That is life.”
He recounted his own struggles growing up in a compound house, sharing bathrooms and toilets with many families and sleeping by the bakery oven to help his mother bake bread before school.
“I used to sell bread before and after school, even during my BECE exams,” he recalled.
His perseverance eventually earned him a bursary at St. Augustine’s College, sponsored by Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, which covered his fees and registration.
Despite political and family challenges, his mother’s redeployment from the 31st December Movement due to her husband’s NPP ties and his stepfather’s demotion for political reasons – Afenyo-Markin said he remained focused.
“I never imagined that one day I would be in the shoes of J.H. Mensah. But here I am,” he said, and encouraged the youth to take the GrowLead initiative seriously, combining effort with faith.
Call for a New National Mindset
Afenyo-Markin cautioned against the misuse of opportunities, warning that greed and entitlement have crippled many businesses and initiatives.
“Our businesses collapse because relatives and friends think they must be rich overnight. This attitude must change,” he warned.
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