Local governance expert, Dr. Frederick Oduro, has expressed doubt that Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia will govern independently if elected president.
Bawumia, who is also the presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party, has promised that he will have no more than 50 ministers and deputy ministers under his administration.
He explained that a leaner government would be more efficient in his speech to members of the Diplomatic Corps, Civil Society Organizations, and NPP functionaries after winning the NPP flagbearer race.
He also stressed the importance of boosting the private sector, improving institutional systems and decentralization to achieve greater efficiency.
However, the local governance expert suggests that there should be a clear difference between what President Akufo-Addo is doing and what Bawumia will do if he becomes President.
According to him, Dr. Bawumia has been at the helm of affairs in the Akufo-Addo’s government though he claims to be the driver’s mate.
“One of the key things that people say is that if he is elected it will be a continuation of Akufo-Addo’s government. So even within President Akufo-Addo’s government where you see the President virtually laid back Dr. Bawumia having been elected as a Presidential candidate is coming out with new ideas. If there are changes for me it will be significant to show that Dr. Bawumia is his own man first and foremost.
“Secondary, the kind of policy direction that in the last few months they have presented that they are going to pursue if it is different from what we have witnessed then it means it is the doing of Dr. Bawumia,” Dr. Oduro stated.
He continued: “Now that he is the Presidential candidate if the government of the day is pursuing new policies different from what we have seen in the last seven years. Suppose we can see major changes in the government portfolios and even some replacements. Then I can see that this is how we expect to see should Dr. Bawumia become the President.”
