Nana Yaw Osei, a private legal practitioner, has challenged the leadership credentials of Former Vice President and 2024 flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Speaking in an interview on Abusua 965 FM’s Bresosem program, Nana Yaw Osei expressed doubts about Dr. Bawumia’s record and questioned his contributions to the party and the nation’s economy.
Nana Yaw Osei dismissed the narrative that credits Dr. Bawumia as the driving force behind the economic successes of past administrations.
He said “Dr. Bawumia, how was he marketed to the people of Ghana? What sort of big English didn’t they use to market him?
“Bawumia is the only person who works under someone but gets credited for doing the work. Have you seen such a thing before? He was a Deputy Governor at the Bank of Ghana. The things that were done under Paul Acquah, the NPP said it was Dr. Bawumia who did them.”
Regarding Dr. Bawumia’s role as Vice President under President Nana Akufo-Addo, Nana Yaw Osei contended that the positive developments attributed to the government were incorrectly credited to the Vice President.
“When he became Vice President of Ghana, all the good things that happened under the Akufo-Addo regime were said to be the handiwork of Dr. Bawumia. These same people don’t accept that when some wrongs occurred in the places where they say he did all the good things, it is not Dr. Bawumia’s fault. We are fools to accept that, right?”, he asked.
Nana Yaw Osei also criticized Dr. Bawumia’s handling of the economy, pointing specifically to the controversial Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
He described the economic fallout from the programme as disastrous for ordinary Ghanaians, recounting how a classmate’s family lost significant savings in the scheme.
Nana Yaw Osei emphasized, “Dr. Bawumia completely run away from the economy. Regarding the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), you owe someone but say you won’t pay.
“My own classmate’s two younger brothers worked hard to save $500,000, but they lost it due to the DDEP and the campaign they did against the NPP. They were made to understand that they wouldn’t get the $500,000 back because the years it would take for them to start receiving their money show that they won’t get it at all. What worse economic management do you want to see again? Isn’t it Bawumia’s handiwork, or is it Ken Ofori-Atta’s?”, he rhetorically asked.
The legal practitioner further questioned the credibility of all five candidates vying for the NPP flagbearership, suggesting none offer fresh or effective solutions to Ghana’s economic challenges.
He indicated “So for me, none of the five candidates is saying anything new in terms of managing the economy of this country. Who can say the NPP did well in managing the economy?
“God even helped us that the worst economic management did not affect the salaries of government workers, but we were heading there.”
On the human impact of the economic crisis, Nana Yaw Osei said that while some people have fallen ill or died, it would be accurate to attribute these directly to the effect of Domestic Debt Exchange Program (DDEP).
“Look, people have fallen sick and others have died, but doctors cannot write and say this person died because of DDEP. All they can write is that the death was caused by BP (Blood Pressure) or diabetes, but it is actually due to DDEP,” he argued.
Source: www.Kumasimail/Kwadwo Owusu