Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Dome-Kwabenya and former High Commissioner, Mike Oquaye Jnr, has criticised President John Dramani Mahama's administration, saying the president's "honeymoon period is over" after about 18 months in office.

Speaking on TV3's The Key Points on June 20, 2026, Oquaye Jnr expressed disappointment over the implementation of the government's flagship 24-hour economy policy, one of the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) key campaign promises aimed at boosting productivity, creating jobs through shift systems and promoting round-the-clock economic activity.

"24-hour economy. What is going on there? Nothing. And when we sit in this economy, where now the secretariat itself is earning rather than working, then these are points that people are going to be worried about in terms of approval.

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"So, let us juxtapose all these things. The honeymoon period is over. We wish President John Mahama well in the things that he says that he will do, but he must do them. Otherwise, some of us will point them out, whether here or even in Parliament, to be able to explain to him that you said you would do this," he asserted.

Oquaye Jnr argued that although the government has undertaken initiatives such as constructing 24-hour markets in various districts, the broader vision of a transformative 24-hour economy has yet to materialise in a meaningful way for ordinary Ghanaians.

He also highlighted concerns among farmers, particularly cocoa and cashew producers, whom he said have become increasingly disappointed with developments in the agricultural sector.

Referring to promises made to cocoa farmers, he questioned the practicality of some of the proposed interventions.

"You said you would bring boreholes into the middle of cocoa farms and use the water to irrigate the cocoa. Is it flawless? Because you can water cocoa.

"My grandfather is a cocoa farmer. You can never water cocoa with boreholes. So, these are things that cocoa farmers are disappointed about," he stated.

Oquaye Jnr further noted that cashew farmers have also been affected by declining produce values, which he linked to broader challenges in production and export competitiveness.

"...Cashew farmers are disappointed. Many other sectors of our economy are disappointed. So, the honeymoon period is over. Let us see what happens in the future," he added.

President Mahama's honeymoon period is over. There is nothing going on when it comes to the '24-hour economy' policy. - Mike Oquaye Jnr, Former NPP Parliamentary Candidate, Dome Kwabenya#TheKeyPoints #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/MncEf8yO0k

— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) June 20, 2026