Effutu Member of Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has labelled former President John Dramani Mahama’s October 27 lecture as opportunistic. He said the former president was seeking to project himself as someone who can be an alternative to be at the helm of affairs but emphatically said: “he is not an alternative”. In an interview with Accra-based Citi TV, Afenyo-Markin explained that Mahama during his tenure was also confronted with a number of ‘lesser challenges’ compared to what the NPP government was battling with but ‘suffocated’. He stated that the NPP has a track record of being better managers of the economy however it was unfortunate to be hit by external shocks whenever it was in government. The Effutu MP said Mahama can continue making political statements to sway the minds of Ghanaians but suggested that the former president and the NDC have not prudently managed the economy when they had the opportunity to do so. “He is not making these calls in good faith. He is making these calls in an opportunistic context as though he is an alternative. But I want to underscore the point and make it clear that he is not an alternative. “My reason? He was there. When he faced challenges, how did he react to them? How did he respond to Ghanaians? Not in an escalating situation as we find ourselves today. “Perhaps maybe I will say that NPP, whenever we get the opportunity to come into government we do so well but often get external shocks hitting us hard,” Afenyo-Markin said. “He is making political statements. Let’s leave him to his political statements. We are in political competition. So anything to say to sway the minds of people would be what he will definitely attempt to do. But we must also face reality and let him and let his party know that they faced lesser challenges yet they were suffocated,” he added further. Former President John Dramani Mahama’s October 27 lecture titled “Building The Ghana We Want” highlighted the economic challenges confronting the country while proffering some solutions. He asked the government to reduce the size of its ministers as well as merge a number of government agencies amid tight economic conditions. You can also watch this episode of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV: DS/PEN