Dr Keskine Owusu Poku, an aspiring Ashanti Regional Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has described the John Dramani Mahama-led administration as a total failure, stating that Ghanaians have really felt the incompetence and disappointment.

Delivering an assessment of the John Dramani Mahama-led NDC administration in an interview with GhanaWeb's Ashanti Regional Correspondent, Nana Peprah, the outspoken communicator described the government’s last 16 months in office as a period of reneged promises and economic failure.

Speaking on the nation's current state, Dr Keskine argued that the inability of the government to deliver on key campaign pillars—particularly the 24-hour economy, and labour and health sector management—has left objective analysts and Ghanaian youth increasingly disillusioned, vividly illustrating what he described as the tangible impact of incompetence and systemic failure under this administration.

He particularly aimed at the NDC’s flagship 24-hour economy policy (the 1-3-3 initiative), arguing that it has failed to create local employment. He contended that, because the country remains heavily dependent on imports, the policy is effectively creating jobs abroad rather than at home.

"Everybody is asking the question, where is the 24-hour economy? The government has been trumpeting 24-hour markets, but where is the stuff to fill them?" Dr Keskine questioned.

"Most of the goods are imported, meaning you are creating more jobs in China than in Ghana. You cannot force a market to exist when there is no demand and no industrialisation to back it." He said.

The aspiring communications director further argued that even essential workers are suffering because of government failures. He cited a backlog of unpaid teachers and nurses, along with many qualified professionals who remain unemployed, demonstrating that the administration's promises on job provision have not materialised.

"The government is struggling to pay those already working. We have a backlog of teachers and nurses waiting to be paid, and others waiting to be employed. This tells you that, on the surface, the youth of this country are very much disappointed," he added.

Turning his attention to the Ashanti Region, Dr Keskine criticised the government’s failure to operationalise critical healthcare projects. He cited the Sewua and Kumawu hospitals, as well as the Agenda 111 projects, as examples of infrastructure that have remained stagnant under the current administration.

"It has taken the government 16 months, and they are yet to operationalise hospitals like Sewua and Kumawu, even when we have professionals at home seeking jobs. John Dramani Mahama has been a disappointment," Dr Keskine said.

Concluding his points, Dr Keskine emphasised that the NDC government has failed to fulfil its campaign on industrialisation, which he believes is the only true way to fix the economy. He urged Ghanaians to hold the administration accountable for reneging on the promises that brought them into power.

"They have failed to do what they promised. They have reneged on almost all the promises for which the people voted for them. The disappointment is real, and the facts are obvious," he concluded.