Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has been advised to dispense with the theatrical comedies and jocular pranks when addressing the current economic challenges.
As head of the government’s Economic Management Team, the Vice President is expected to exhibit respect, honesty, integrity and seriousness when it comes to governance and the issue of the economy.
Ranking Member of the Energy Committee of Parliament, John Jinapor, who gave the advice argued if Dr. Bawumia admits things are difficult and expected to get worse before getting better, then resorting to frivolous and unsubstantiated blame game during his lecture on Thursday is a slap on the face of Ghanaians.
Ghana, he said, is stuttering on the edge of bankruptcy with an inflation rate of almost 30%, the Cedi ranked among one of the worst performing currencies in Africa and fuel prices hiking over 100% with no apparent solution in sight, and yet the Vice President found comfort in making fun of the hardships of Ghanaians.
“Everyone in Ghana today feels the heat and that cannot be explained away with propaganda and jokes by this government.”
“The Vice-President not long ago held a major press conference and announced he and his government had arrested the dollar, put it in prison and handed the keys to the IGP. Not long after that comedy, the Cedi depreciated by almost 13% in 2019 (that was before Covid 19 pandemic).”
In April this year, the same Dr Bawumia, told the whole nation that the Economic Management Team under his chairmanship had put in place adequate measures to prevent the nation from going for an IMF programme. Today, Ghana is back to the IMF not even in good shape, but in a dire economic situation. Is this not a spite on the Vice President’s assurance,” he quizzed?
According to Hon. Jinapor, the Vice President claimed the government had paid GH¢17 billion on excess capacity, even when the Finance Minister had admitted to Parliament during question time the administration had paid a total of US$937.50 million to Independent Power Producers (IPP) as excess capacity charges between 2017 and 2020.
This claim, the Ranking said, is a blatant falsehood and untruth that cannot be supported by facts.
Dr. Bawumia, he said, needs to concentrate on his core duties as head of the economic team and allow the Minister of Information to perform his duties as prescribed by convention.
He lamented the Vice President has lost focus thereby making his office look irrelevant while demeaning the standards expected of a Vice President.
