Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who until recently was a Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana has been selected as the running mate of ruling New Patriotic Party candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the December general election in Ghana.
By William Yaw Owusu
Tuesday September 9, 2008.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) running mate for the December election, says the time has come for the electorate to ignore what he called “politicians who are bent on hiding behind the election to distabilise the country”.
“The country is on the verge of an economic breakthrough, so we should not allow these few politicians to disrupt the peace and programmes towards the creation of a better Ghana for us all,” he advised.
Dr Bawumia, who until recently a Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana said this when he paid a familiarisation visit to the offices of the New Times Corporation in Accra yesterday.
The NPP running mate, who was accompanied by John Boadu, NPP national youth organiser, and Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, is currently visiting the various media houses to acquaint himself with their work.
Dr Bawumia said: “this year’s election is about the determination of our future as a people. We are going to decide whether we should move forward or go backwards.
“We should know that the country’s future is at stake in this election and the NPP is committed to ensuring the integrity of the electoral process to further consolidate our democracy.”
He said the NPP administration had been able to put in place sound economic policies and programmes which were capable of withstanding external shocks, adding “it is very clear that we have delivered a major transformation of the economy”.
He said “in the past, all the indicators pointed to a downturn. We were using about 22 per cent of our export revenue to pay interests on debts. But now, our economy is described as on the frontier of an emerging economy”.
Dr Bawumia said the government had built a solid foundation and the economy was not dependent on the International Monetary Fund.
“In the midst of the turbulence, we have been able to demonstrate economic competence and the NPP deserves to be retained in office to continue the economic progress,” he urged.
On the railway sector, Dr Bawumia described the revamping of the sector as a priority of the next NPP government, and added “if we are going to industrialise, then this sector should play a vital role”.
He said the pledge by the flag-bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo to make education at the senior high school level free of charge was real, explaining “if President Kufuor under severe constraints was able to make education at the basic level free, then why not Nana Akufo-Addo when the economy is showing signs of progress”.
He said “under Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration, the NPP will approach development with a sense of urgency and ensure equity in the distribution national resources”.
On how well he is doing on the political terrain, Dr Bawumia said: “I have been well received everywhere I go, and this tremendous support encourages me that there is hope for this country”.
He said “if people think my entry into politics is to tell lies, attack personalities and trade insults, then they will be disappointed. I have come on board to ensure a healthy political discourse and tackle the issues at hand”.
John Boadu, commenting, commended the media for helping to consolidate the country’s democracy and promised the electorate that the NPP would not let them down when elected.
Mr Kofi Asuman, Managing Director of the New Times Corporation, urged politicians to be mindful of utterances and acts that have the tendency to disrupt the peace of the country.
Mr Enimil Ashon, acting Editor of the Ghanaian Times, the flagship paper of the corporation, assured all political parties that the paper would continue to be fair and objective towards the development of the country.
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