The former Member of Parliament (MP) for Sissala East, Amidu Issahaku, has raised concerns regarding the spending patterns of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government led by President John Mahama. He believes that the reduction in the number of ministers should be reflected in government expenditure.

Mr. Issahaku emphasised that efforts to cut back on ministerial positions should lead to decreased spending. He noted specific budget allocations, highlighting that in 2024, under President Akufo-Addo, the Office of Government Machinery was allocated GHC 2.07 billion, while this allocation increased to GHC 2.7 billion in 2025 under President Mahama. He further mentioned that the current year’s budget allocation stands at approximately GHC 9 billion.

According to him, despite Akufo-Addo's government having more ministries, Issahaku believes that the former president managed to spend less. In contrast, President Mahama’s administration, with fewer ministries and ministers, appears to be spending more.

This situation indicates that the reduction in numbers has not translated into tangible benefits for Ghanaians.

"We should be looking at the figures; the expenditure doesn’t reflect there. I am just giving you a classical example in terms of the Office of Government Machinery; they are cutting down numbers, they are cutting down ministers, and yet the expenditure is increasing," he stated.

Additionally, he remarked on President Mahama's ban on state-funded conferences, training, and retreats for State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and public institutions. Hon. Issahaku pointed out that this is not the first instance of such a ban; during Mahama's previous term in 2015, a similar prohibition on foreign travel for these entities was implemented without a notable impact on government expenditure.

Mr. Issahaku conveyed that Ghanaians expect a reduction in expenditure when the number of ministries and ministers decreases.