Amissah-Arthur Must Respond To Dr. Bawumia's Alarming Statistics

The heat is on, the challenge have been thrown, the stage is set for a showdown between two economics giants, who have both served the central bank of Ghana.

For some time now, the running mate to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has had a free run of engaging Ghanaians with his economic prognosis of the country, without any serious rebuttal.

Most of the time, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who has become the darling of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), although a good student of economics, has allowed politics to cloud his judgment.

If there was anything I learnt in my little economics, it is that, there is never a single solution to any problem.

They are so many economic modules available to every country, the circumstance of the country determines the best possible module to adopt, but Dr. Bawumia, wants us to believe that, what he proposes is the best Ghana, has to pursue to achieve economic prosperity.

Many times, he has thrown a challenge to his boss at the Bank of Ghana, the Vice-president, Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur, and all these while, despite the obvious lies he churns out, he has been ignored, but not this time around.

Some few weeks to a crucial election, Dr. Bawumia, will not be allowed to have a free run home, he will be matched and challenge for every figure and every lie, he will tell.

Yesterday, he was at his best again, with his annoying laughter, mesmerizing his listeners, who are mostly members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), with his lies.

Anytime he host these lectures and he is left to the supporters of the president and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to digest and condemn him on social media, especially facebook are over.

Amissah-Arthur, wherever he is currently campaigning must cut short his tour and head back to Accra to set the record straight.

Silence, has not served him well, his political responses to an economic issue is not the way to go. Without conducting any survey, I can safely conclude that, the running mate to Nana Addo, is a household name than a sitting vice-president.

The reason is not farfetched, it is that, Dr. Bawumia, has endeared himself to the people of this country through his public lectures. He makes sure he is always on our minds and his name on our lips.

Anytime, he feels he is being forgotten, he will quickly organize a lecture with a fancy title, to remind us that, he is still around.

The road to the presidency for John Dramani Mahama, was made easier for him, because he wasn’t a shadow vice-president, who walked in the shadow of his boss, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills.

He made his presence felt, he always engaged the media, he didn’t always wait to be pushed by took initiatives on his own, that was why he was able to use three months to beat a tested and experience candidate in the person of Nana Addo, one touch.

Amissah Arthur, must help himself, the president and the NDC party to avoid the problems the New Patriotic Party went through in 2007, and which has divided the party till today.

President John Agyekum Kufuor, was faced with a difficult choice of endorsing his vice, Alhaji Aliu Mahama or somebody else, he chose to endorse Alan Kwawdo Kyeremanten, although a decision I feel was not well conceived, was the best choice for him, because Alhaji Aliu Mahama, could not fly.

In the eight years that he partnered President Kufuor, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, did not position himself well to succeed his boss.

Amissah Arthur must learn from history and begin to see beyond today. He has a unique opportunity to succeed President John Dramani Mahama, when he steps down in 2021, but as they say opportunity meets preparation, if he fails to prepare himself, the opportunity, will slip by him.

Before Dr. Bawumia, had the opportunity to partner Nana Addo in 2008, he did not have any prior experience in politics, he was new to the game, having worked in the financial sector all his life, but he quickly learnt the rope and has so far perfected it.

Should the two be put side by side and ask Ghanaians to choose, Dr. Bawumia, will take a giant leap and be trailed by Amissah-Arthur.

It is not too late for Amissah-Arthur, who is campaigning in far away north of the country, to begin to position himself for the opportunity ahead.

If I could advise him, I will tell him to channel his energies in his home region to ensure that, NDC, wins all the seats in that region, as Bawumia, has done in the last election, helping the NPP, to snatch some seats from the NDC.

Dr. Bawumia, has provided more than ample opportunity to rival him and even overtake him, by not only responding to his lectures, but by having to respond to what, you have to say.

Amissah Arthur, could also organize similar lectures to throw more light on the progress Ghana has made on the economic front. It is difficult doing that, as a sitting vice-president, but it is not impossible.

If need be, this time around, Dr. Bawumia, must not be thrown to the attack dogs, who know next to nothing about economics.

Speaking good English does not mean one understands figures, it takes one with the knowledge to make sense out of numbers, and Amissah-Arthur, can be better than Dr. Bawumia.

The race is on, it has just begun, Dr. Bawumia, must be matched boot for boot, the tag of being a whiz kid, must be challenged, not with insults, but academic exercise as he chose to do.

I am trying to make sense of everything he said, until then; I am waiting to hear from my vice-president.