In the midst of the ongoing economic debate and a recent call by Kofi Bentil, Vice President of IMANI Africa, urging Ghanaians to consider Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for the presidency, Prof. Kobby Mensah, a senior lecturer at the University of Ghana (UG), has entered the fray with skepticism.
Bentil’s call focused on acknowledging Bawumia’s role in the current economic changes and advocating for a fair hearing in the upcoming presidential election.
However, Prof. Mensah questioned the consistency of praise and criticism directed at the Vice President, emphasizing the need for concrete actions to address the country’s economic challenges.
As the debate unfolds, discussions around Bawumia’s economic stewardship and leadership capabilities are gaining prominence in the lead-up to the 2024 general election.
In a post shared on Facebook on February 4, 2024, Prof. Mensah wondered why proponents of the ruling New Patriotic Party are quick to applaud Dr. Bawumia, the flagbearer of the NPP, for the ‘successes’ of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government but are always trying to exonerate him from the current economic challenges.
He added that the vice president has had enough time to implement the economic solution he came up with when he was in opposition, which brought him to the limelight, but he has failed.
“On the part of Ghanaians, we gave Bawumia ample fair hearing in 2012 and 2016 as he championed his infamous theories, including the FTTP – from taxation to production. How did that fare? All of us can attest to his utmost failure, leading to the ‘Nwisie Tax’ today.
“Bawumia’s endorsers tend to give him credit for Agenda 111, Drone delivery system, Ghana card, digitalization among others. In 2018, Nana Addo gave Bawumia credit for what he described as improvement in the economy. Yet when Ghanaians, talk about the economy being in tatters, his endorses say Bawumia is not to blame. Wow! How does that sound?” he quizzed.
The academic added, “What Ghanaians need now is action, not the same old soundbites. The talk of bold solutions for the future, what about now? What about bold solutions for the economy he has destroyed?”