Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia (middle)
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has revealed that former President John Agyekum Kufuor once told him that he “will go far”.
The Vice President indicated that this was before the former President appointed him to the board of Ghana Telecom.
Probably, reacting to claims that he is a novice in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Bawumia mentioned that he would not hide the fact that former President Kufuor is his political godfather.
Explaining why the former president became his political godfather while addressing delegates of the party in the Western Region, Dr. Bawumia revealed that there was a time that the Financial Times in London organised a forum on Ghana’s economy during President Kufuor’s era.
He mentioned those who attended the forum as former President Kufuor, Mr. Osafo-Maafo, Dr. Paul Acquah, former Governor of Bank of Ghana, himself and other key dignitaries from Ghana.
He told the delegates that at the forum, one of the organisers in the United Kingdom started talking about Ghana’s economy to the gathering.
“But at a point I sensed that some things he was saying about Ghana’s economy was not correct so I requested to be given the opportunity to speak, and thankfully my request was granted,” he added.
He said when he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room changed because the people understood what the economic policy of the Kufuor’s government really was.
“So during the break time President Kufuor sent for me and when I went, the former president told me: ‘Young man, you have done well, keep it up, you will go far’.
“Just the same week after we returned to Ghana President Kufuor appointed me to the board of Ghana Telecom,” he revealed.
He disclosed that in 2008 when there was a vacancy for the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana position while he was a Special Assistant to the then Governor, Paul Acquah, former President Kufuor appointed him as the Deputy Governor.
Dr. Bawumia said he served as the Co-Chair of the Economic Policy Coordinating Committee under President Kufuor and was a key member of the Government’s Technical Negotiations team for HIPC in 2001.
“That was the team that negotiated four billion dollar relief for Ghana that helped President Kufuor to stabilise the economy,” he disclosed.
He also indicated that he was a key member of the team that implemented the redenomination of the cedi and the Bank of Ghana’s inflation targeting framework.
He told the NPP delegates that after the current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had become the flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Addo sent for him.
“When I was preparing to go and meet him, I thought probably he wanted to know something about the economy or needed some statistics on the economy.
“So I prepared myself well, but when we met and after a brief chat, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo told me he wanted me to be his running mate.
“I was shocked since I was not a politician, but Nana Addo told me I should leave the politics to him and accept to be his running mate. I went to think about it and the following day I accepted his request,” the Vice President revealed.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi