Nana Ohene Ntow and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia
Former Secretary General of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Ohene Ntow, has dismissed suggestions that the party’s flag-bearer, Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is not responsible for the current state of Ghana’s economy.
According to Ohene Ntow, a leading member of Allan Kyerematen Movement for Change, the only reason Dr Bawumia was selected by the party as its vice presidential candidate in 2007 was because President Akufo-Addo touted his economic qualities and former President John Agyekum Kufuor insisted that he should be accepted if he could help turn the economy around.
Ohene Ntow, who made these remarks in an interview on Peace FM on Monday, June 6, 2024, noted that the Vice President who was marketed to Ghanaians as an economics expert is currently running away from issues relating to Ghana’s current economic challenges, rather choosing to focus on digitalisation.
“President Akufo-Addo said to the NPP and later to the people of Ghana: ‘Please, let us bring in Dr Bawumia. He is the man who can fix and revitalise the economy.’ We (NPP) refused, saying he was not a member of the party. But President Kufuor said if we did not select Bawumia (as running mate), we would regret it if the economy collapsed under our watch, and so we accepted him.
“Today, Dr Bawumia runs away when he talks about the economy. He took a small part, which is digitalisation. Digitalisation is important but it is not the whole economy. When you listen to Dr Bawumia’s own statements during the 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 election campaigns and compare them with the results, it is said that he (Bawumia) is a new element, I find it very difficult to accept,” he said in Twi.
He added: “Ghanaians will also say that President Akufo-Addo is saying he is not an economist and that if he puts Bawumia in charge of the economy, miracles will happen. The President gave Bawumia his first four years of office, not one or two, and now he has given him his second four years, eight years, nothing has happened and now he wants another four years?”
Watch the video of his remarks below.
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