President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia
A group calling itself United Zongo for Bawumia has observed that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has changed the narrative of executive influence in Ghana through his decision to give the Office of the Vice-President due recognition and relevance.
According to the group, even though the Vice-President’s office is tagged “No 2”, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has had the fullest support of the President, previously as a running mate and now as the Vice-President.
The due recognition, the group says, has opened boundless doors for the Vice-President “to release the abundant energies in him for the benefit of national development and growth of democracy in Ghana.”
“You have demonstrated openly the extent to which you treasure and respect the status of Dr Bawumia,” it said.
The group made this known when it held a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, addressed by its Bono Regional communications director, Iddrisu Mohammed Bello.
Competent team
Mr Mohammed Bello said the healthy relationship between President Nana Akufo-Addo and Vice-President Bawumia has brought about a turnaround in the Ghanaian economy.
“It does not amaze us that though you inherited a mess and collapsed economy, your government has made these great and unprecedented strides in our economy, education, industrialisation, agriculture and other sectors in our country’s development,” he said.
He further praised the President for maintaining Dr Bawumia as his running mate for the 2020 general elections.
While lauding the efforts of the government in developing the Zongo communities across the country, he assured: “We are poised to renew your mandate as President to do more of the remarkable achievements in the last three years. We are much certain that delegates will give you an overwhelming endorsement.”
Bawumia
Ghana has had six Vice-Presidents since the inception of the 1992 Constitution. There are the late Kow Nkensen Arkaah (1993-1997), the late John Attah Mills (1997-2001), the late Aliu Mahama (2001-2009), John Mahama (2009-2012), the late Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur (2012-2017) and Mahamudu Bawumia (2017 to present).
While Article 60 of the Constitution clearly specifies the roles and functions of Vice-Presidents, there has been some defining moments about Dr Bawumia.
Before joining partisan politics, he was a Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana. While he may have entered the turf as a novice, he now commands a voice and integrity on the national political space such that when he sneezes, his opponents catch the cold.
As he leads a very vital phase in Ghana’s digital space, he is gradually becoming an icon for future roles of Vice-Presidents of Ghana.
Aside playing his roles defined by the Constitution, he has been, perhaps, the most active and purposeful Vice-President to have graced the political scene at such high office.
He was initially considered as inexperienced politician, but has now grown in the role and become a thorn in the flesh of opposition NDC.
As the head of the Economic Management team (EMT), his leadership has led to a transformation in the economic indicators such as interest rate, inflation rate and gross domestic product (GDP) figures which define the health of any economy.
Interest rate has declined from 25.50 per cent, in 2016, to 16.00 per cent, in 2019. Inflation, which is the overall increase in prices of goods and services, has declined from 17.5 per cent, in 2016, to 7.9 per cent, in December, 2019. GDP has seen a sturdy expansion in the last three years, growing from 42.8 billion to 65.5 billion in 2018.
