Dr. Steve Manteaw, a policy analyst, attributes Ghana's progress to what he calls righteous leadership, suggesting the nation is blessed by divine intervention under its current government. In a social media post, Dr. Manteaw emphasized that when leaders are just, God blesses the nation, and the people rejoice. He framed this as a divine mandate, wishing his followers a blessed Sunday. As Co-chair of the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI), Dr. Manteaw has been a vocal supporter of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration since its inception in January 2025. He consistently defends government policies on natural resource management and economic reforms, particularly those related to the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod). GoldBod was established to regulate gold trading and combat illegal mining, and Dr. Manteaw recently refuted claims that it effectively legalizes galamsey, describing such assertions as mischievous and based on a misunderstanding of its mandate. He highlighted the stringent measures in GoldBod's establishing Act that prevent illegally mined gold from entering official supply chains and the board's consideration of a comprehensive gold traceability system to eliminate illegal gold laundering. In June 2025, Dr. Manteaw praised four key appointees in President John Dramani Mahama's administration for driving significant economic reforms. He commended Energy Minister John Abdulai Jinapor for renegotiating legacy power purchase agreements, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson for fiscal policies contributing to macroeconomic stability, Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah for intensifying enforcement against illegal mining, and Trade Minister Kobby Asamoah Boateng for establishing institutional frameworks supporting local industry growth. With over 20 years of experience at the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), Dr. Manteaw has extensive expertise in extractive industries transparency and serves on several national boards and committees. He previously chaired the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), focusing on extractive sector policy research, revenue tracking, rights protection, and legislative analysis in West Africa's extractive industries. However, Dr. Manteaw has not always agreed with every government decision. In May 2025, he expressed concerns over some presidential appointments, warning that continued appointments of underperforming individuals could erode goodwill among Ghanaians. He also urged Ghanaians to avoid overstating the economic significance of lithium compared to gold, describing the debate over the revised Atlantic Lithium agreement as overly sentimental. His support for the current administration's policies has drawn mixed reactions from Ghanaians with differing views on government performance since the NDC's return to power in January 2025.
