An independent presidential hopeful for the 2024 elections, Kofi Koranteng, has advised Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to resign as Chairman of the government’s Economic Management Team.
Should the Vice President fail to resign, Parliament, he said, for the good of the nation must remove him from his office.
According to him, Dr. Bawumia’s leadership of the economic management team has led Ghana to its worse international credit rating downgrade.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, Mr. Koranteng argued though the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration has performed poorly and led Ghana deeper into economic catastrophe, this government did not cause this downtrend alone.
The process, he said, began decades ago and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is as guilty as the NPP when it comes to sinking the nation into this economic doldrums.
He said, “The blatant and systematic pilferage of the riches, resources, and labours of Ghana and its people have been and continue to be perpetrated by the NPP and NDC.”
“Yes, I agree with former President Mahama calling for the resignation or removal of Dr. Bawumia and the Economic Management Team but I, in no way, endorse its replacement with equal incompetents from the NDC.”
The aspiring Independent Candidate observed that when President Akufo-Addo announced the 11-member economic management team, he called it ‘His dream team’ and quizzed whether the President produced the members in a dream or because he knows this cabal will devise a system to benefit from another IMF bailout.
He questioned whether this new IMF bailout will go to build new schools, hospitals, innovative technology centres or go to provide living wages, secure housing, and clean water for the impoverished Ghanaian worker.
“Will it fund advances in agricultural efficiencies and output? Will it create jobs, prosperity and security for Ghanaians and offer the youth a future that they can treasure, or will it once again pad the bank accounts and enhance the luxurious lifestyles of the NDC, NPP and the industrial cronies who support them and pay them homage?”
He argued in order to accept yet another loan from the IMF there must be a marked change in the function, purpose, mission and goals of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-led government.
Mr. Koranteng noted the disproportionate salaries, stipends, living expenses, luxury travel, vehicles, household help and sweet deals with
corporations and foreign governments have benefited only the
privileged in the Ghanaian society and stressed the average Ghanaian would be ecstatic to have a home, vehicle and food paid for by the government.
He questioned how much of the current IMF loan will end up in foreign accounts of ministers, government appointees and their associates.
The IMF, he said, approved US$1 billion for Ghana to address the COVID-19 pandemic and questioned what it was actually used for.
“Can the economic dream team of President Akufo-Addo tell us where the $ 1 billion is hidden,” he asked.