The first six months of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government have left Ghanaians increasingly frustrated over jobs, governance, and credibility, according to a new IMANI PULSE analysis.
Expectations were high in January after Mahama’s inauguration, buoyed by pledges of fiscal discipline, anti-corruption reforms, and economic diversification. Scaling down Independence Day celebrations and slashing official travel costs were initially seen as welcome signals of prudence.
But IMANI’s sentiment analysis, based on 22,000 online mentions reaching over 31 million users, shows that optimism has steadily eroded.
The core of the frustration, the think tank noted, lies in three areas: job creation, fiscal credibility, and justice delivery. Instead of creating new opportunities, the government became defined by mass dismissals of public sector workers, stoking anxiety among both civil servants and unemployed youth.
On fiscal discipline, initial gains were eclipsed by the private jet scandal, which created a perception of hypocrisy. And on justice, the administration’s uneven handling of corruption cases has fueled a sense of selective prosecutions.
IMANI warned that even well-received initiatives, such as tax cuts, currency stabilisation, and new mining sector reforms, are being drowned out by governance controversies. By June, social media narratives were dominated by scandals, from the U.S. Embassy issue to revelations within the National Service Scheme.
“Public sentiment on the NDC administration between January and June 2025 underscores the primacy of credibility in governance,” the report stated.
It recommended bold reforms, including transparent prosecution criteria, equal treatment of political actors, and a renewed focus on jobs and youth engagement.
Ultimately, the message for the president is that unless the government rebuilds trust quickly, disillusionment could harden into a permanent loss of public confidence.
