Senior lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UDS) Dr. Michael Ayamga has described as cowardice and a mark of incompetence what he believes is Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s attempt to distance himself from the record of the Akufo-Addo-led government.
“When you listen to Akufo-Addo speaks, he understands nothing about economics and it’s you who led the whole economic design and then propagated it, defended it. It’s cowardly, it’s incompetence and it’s a lack of courage for Dr. Bawumia to run away from a record that has a Bawumia shield on it. If Ghana’s economy was a product wrapped in a box, the label would’ve been Bawumia economy,” he stated in interview on Breakfast Today on Dreamz FM.
The Vice-President, who doubles as flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) speaking at a public address to present his vision for the country, equated his position to that of a diver’s mate and asked Ghanaians to elevate him to the post of a driver so that he will chart a new path.
He pledged to implement measures that will reduce cost of living including abolishing taxes imposed by the Akufo-Addo-led government, which is a key member.
He also spoke about his role as chairman of the Economic Management Team (EMT), stating that the EMT has no decision making powers but advisory.
The pronouncements by the Vice-President, many say, are subtle attempt to distance himself from the performance of the government and absolve himself from blame for the prevailing crisis.
Dr. Michael Ayamga, who shares similar sentiments, chastised the Vice-President for failing to own to the mess he and the government created and seeking to absolve himself of blame.
This, he said, is cowardly and mark of incompetence and a bad leader.
Expressing his disappointment in the Vice-President, the development economics lecturer said he is embarrassed by the fact that Dr. Bawumia hails from Northern Ghana where he (Dr. Ayamga) also hails from.
“The thing about Bawumia now is more attitudinal, more about character than economic and development because I was really disappointed. I was in Nigeria and I was picking sound bites here and there and got extremely embarrassed that he carries the tag of a Northerner”.
He stated that people of Northern decent are known for their boldness and truthfulness thus, he expected the Vice-President to be bold and truthful.
“He is coming across as a coward which does not define the Northerner. Everywhere a Northerner is, he speaks his mind. That is what we are noted. We are noted for not only our physical strength but our boldness”.
