Bawumia has spoken again, and government has been swift with its response describing his recent statement on the $250m stashed in a private bank while government pays interest on the one billion dollar Eurobond as inaccurate and mischievous.
The issue will obviously dominate public discourse this week. It prompts me about one critical thing. As we gear up towards a heated campaign season, many of such issues will come up, some may be mischief, pure lies, half-truths and even facts presented by government may not be wholly swallowed until there is proof.
In six months Ghanaians will go to the polls. To break it down, we have barely 179 days to decide who leads this our beloved country for next four years. The clock is sticking fast and the governing party is already backing its hopes on what it described as monumental infrastructure projects and other pro-poor policies transforming the lives of people especially ordinary Ghanaians.
The main opposition party is equally doing its homework, but unlike the ruling party which is relying on government machinery through appointees across the length and breadth of the country to tell its story, even before President John Mahama hits the road, the New patriotic Party has so far limited their strategy to field work by its Vice Presidential candidate.
72-year old Nana Addo Danquaah Akufo Addo has assured his teaming supporters he is fit, poised for a very vigorous campaign and will soon hit the road running. For now, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia his Vice has taken over the main battle. He has been touring the country and his immediate focus has been on public lectures various tertiary institutions. NPP is also relying on some friendly media houses which project very little statements they issue, perhaps to equalize the attention Mahama is receiving at the grassroots across the country during his working visits.
Unfortunately many of the issues the NPP leadership have raised have been challenged. Most have been on the economy, job creation and the fight against corruption, unfortunately most issues raised have been contested with verifiable facts. That is what must be watched carefully. Are electorates so gullible to swallow lies? Is government really convincing them about its achievements? Is the poor farmer in any deprived village, whose interest is to get his road fixed or a health post flowing the discourse on radio?
There is no doubt about Nana Akufo Addo’s political might. But he is old and not as strong as he was four years ago. Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia is struggling to fill his big shoes. He is doing this at a time the party is fragmented, financially bankrupt and not receiving full support of sitting MPs, let alone other aspirants.
His strategy is therefore to fuel sensationalism, before the cedi stabilized the economic prophet Bawumia fed on trends and predicted doom for the local currency. Today it’s stabilized and his plan keeps shifting. In his haste to nail government he misfired, at a lecture at the Central University College on 25th March, 2015 he lied that the African Development Bank (AfDB) has suspended Ghana the previous month and we were still on suspension as of the time he was delivering the lecture. AfDB denied this claim in the evening of the same day on 18th August, 2015.
<<Print>>