‘Bawumia is in a very tight situation’ – Prof Agyeman-Duah

Governance expert and former United Nations Advisor on Governance, Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has asserted that the NPP 2024 presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is in a very tight situation in his attempt to break the ‘eight’ for the party on December 7, 2024.

Prof Agyeman-Duah maintained that it would be very difficult for Dr Bawumia to dissociate himself from the current economic situation in the country.

His comments follow the assertions by President Akufo-Addo in his State of the Nation Address on Tuesday, February 27, suggesting that government appointees and officials only offer advice to the president.

“It would be an unwise President that would pretend to have all the answers, and refuse the advice of his officials, but the fact remains that the President holds the executive power”, said President Akufo-Addo.

The revelation by President Akufo-Addo seemed to have exonerated the head of the Economic Management Team (EMT), as Dr Bawumia was against e-levy, but it was still introduced.

Prof Agyeman-Duah had a dissenting view. He said, “This is a very interesting situation”.

“His [President Akufo-Addo] vice president, with whom he has ruled the country for eight years, is seeking to be president and the public and himself know that there are so many policies of his government that have not been satisfying to the public and of course, he works together with the vice president”, he stressed.

According to Prof Agyeman-Duah, for Dr Bawumia to succeed at breaking the ‘eight’ for the NPP, he would need to devise different strategies.

He continued by saying, “But seeking the presidency, the vice president has to find a clever way to distance himself from some of the failed policies”, adding that it is a “dilemma for any vice president seeking the office of the president while the incumbent is still in office”.

“I think [Dr} Bawumia is in a very tight situation because, on one hand, he cannot publicly denounce the policies of the president of which he was part, and at the same time he is aware that certain policies have not been very good and he cannot carry that to the campaign trail”, Prof Agyeman-Duah said.

Also, according to Prof Agyeman-Duah, the issue is compounded when the public is aware of the close relationship that exists between the president and the vice president.

“When people know so well that you’ve been closely linked and some of the key policies, especially in the area of the economy, it will be difficult”, he noted.

The situation, according to him, is “a difficulty both of them are facing”, adding that it has become a conundrum for the president and the vice president.

The NPP 2024 presidential candidate, in outlining his vision for Ghana, maintained certain tax reforms.

Dr Bawumia noted that if elected president, he would abolish the controversial electronic level (E-levy), the 10 percent betting tax, as well as the emission tax. He also announced the introduction of a three percent flat rate at the ports.