Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has indicated that he will not be swayed by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s attacks and distractions.
According to him, the greatest way to defeat skeptics is to stay focused on getting things done and making what they believe is impossible possible.
Speaking at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Women’s Conference in the United Kingdom, the Vice President remarked that when he tries to move the country forward with new ideas, NDC members usually mask their ignorance by attacking him and labeling him a liar.
“In the process, they only expose their lack of understanding of the issues, and that my response to them is to stay focused, not get angry but rather make it happen,” he noted.
He claimed that members of the main opposition party had got notoriety in criticising government efforts and initiatives without any basis, mostly because they do not believe in the possibilities and prospects of the administration’s new policies and programmes.
Dr. Bawumia said what they have accomplished thus far demonstrates that Ghana can achieve many things that others say are impossible.
According to him, with everything they have done and continue to do in the wake of global issues, the outcome thus far speaks to a bright future.
He stated that many of the government’s programmes and policies adopted after the NPP’s assumption of office in 2017 were being implemented for the first time in the fourth republic’s history.
Among several other remarkable measures, he cited the digitisation of the economy and the implementation of social intervention programmes such as the Free Senior High School.
“It is important to note that many of the transformational policy initiatives that we have introduced since 2017 are being done for the first time since independence and most have benefited women,” he stressed.
He stated that since many of the policies had never been done before, many people, bound by an impossible mindset, claimed that they were not conceivable, but they made them possible.
Dr. Bawumia, a flagbearer hopeful of the NPP, urged party members to reject claims that the party would have no message to persuade voters.
Election Message
“Let nobody tell you that we don’t have a message for 2024! I must hasten to add that this does not mean we have done everything we intended to do or ought to have done. There is clearly a lot more to do and we will work hard to do more,” he intimated.
Dr. Bawumia said the NPP government led by President Nana Akufo-Addo has achieved a lot with the introduction of problem-solving policy initiatives, and mentioned some of them as the Ghana Card, Tax Identification Number (TIN), SSNIT Number, National Health Insurance Number, and construction of the Elmina Fishing Harbour.
Others are the Digital Property Address System, Mobile Money Interoperability, paperless ports, no-guarantor student loans, Universal QR Code Payment System, digital registration for and renewal of NHIS membership, One Constituency One Ambulance, Agenda 111, and digitalisation of ECG operations.
The rest are digitised passport applications, e-pharmacy, Sinohydro Barter Agreement, Zipline Drones for medical delivery, Scholarship Secretariat digitisation, unified digital common property tax platform, online filing and payment of taxes at the GRA, digitalisation of the births and deaths register, digitalisation of football ticket sales among others.
“We have been able to stay afloat the stormy global economic developments and kept our lights on without any threat of dumsor. We have been able to ensure all year-round availability of diesel and petrol and no single Ghanaian has to queue for these essential products,” he asserted.
The Vice President said the nation neither never rationed food in the markets as a result of the global challenges nor a single government flagship social intervention programme – be it free SHS or free TVET, school feeding programme, teacher and nursing trainee allowances was truncated.
No British Citizenship
Meanwhile, the Vice President’s Spokesperson, Dr. Gideon Boako, has denied reports on social media that the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has British citizenship while in office.
According to him, Dr. Bawumia has never held British citizenship or any other citizenship in his life.
“The attention of the Office of the Vice President has been drawn to a malicious social media allegation that the Vice President holds a British citizenship while holding the office of Vice President, contrary to the laws of Ghana,” he said in a statement on social media.
“We wish to state in clear terms that Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia does not hold British citizenship and has never held British or any other citizenship other than being a Ghanaian. The allegation should be treated with the contempt it deserves,” he added.
By Ernest Kofi Adu