Being famed for his economic prowess prior to the NPP’s return to power, Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, is surprised Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has been silent over the economic downturn Ghana is facing.
He says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2016 touted Dr. Bawumia as an ‘Economic Messiah’ and expected him to have done some magic to save the plummeting economy. However, the Vice President who is Head of the Economic Management Team has now become a man of digitalisation failing to even comment on the very sector upon which his selection as running mate then was pivoted.
Whilst insisting on not passing a conclusive judgement on the economic performance of the government, the New Patriotic Party’s flag bearer aspirant expressed concern over the Veep’s refusal to merely comment on the state of the economy.
“How would you pride yourself on that? Interest rate has gone from 14 to 35%, yet you want applause, how?” Ken Agyapong asked on Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM Wednesday, November 1, 2023.
“I disagree,” he retorted in response to claims that the Vice President was only an assistant to the President who is his boss.
According to Mr. Agyapong, then running mate Bawumia questioned the Vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, on his economic competence and cannot fathom why same cannot be directed to him.
“When this contender was coming, he asked Amissah-Arthur 170 questions, why can’t we ask him the same 170 questions? He should answer them if he can,” he stressed.
“Of late, he is about digital matters and doesn’t talk about the economy. I want him to talk about it… the way he was blasting Mahama and the NDC, he should be bold to talk about the state of the economy,” the vociferous MP added.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia had asked then Vice President some 170 questions which he demanded responses.
This was after Amissah-Arthur had said Bawumia lied with his claims at a public lecture he gave entitled, “Real state of the Economy” after saying the picture provided by the then government was not the reality.
READ ALSO: NPP parliamentary primaries: Bawumia denounces saying sitting MPs should contest unopposed
Contesting for the flag bearer slot on Saturday, November 4 are: Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who has been tipped to win by a bigger margin.
The Vice President is followed by Assin Central lawmaker, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong as the next favourite candidate to win the elections.
The others are former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and former Mampong MP, Francis Addai-Nimoh.
