By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Founder and leader of Movement for Change, Mr. John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has hit hard at the Vice President and 2024 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, for running away from what he says is the economic mess created by the Akufo Addo-led administration.
According to Mr. Kyerematen, Vice President Bawumia cannot ever absolve himself of the current economic crisis.
Mr. Kyerematen, who is also seeking to become president of Ghana come 2025, maintained that the Vice President, who is seeking election as President, is an integral part of cabinet decisions and cannot disassociate himself from the country’s struggles.
He dismissed claims that vice presidents lack the leverage to impact the country positively.
“There’s no doubt about that, how is it even possible to deny that you have been a minister and say that you are not part of a system? But that is not the case, you are talking about being a minister, governments are not run by ministers. It’s about the executive authority at the highest level. You provide the direction as a minister.
This theory that if you are vice president, you don’t have the leverage to do anything is not true. In the case of late former President J.E. Mills, he literally gave everything to then vice president Mahama, every opportunity to lead processes. It is the same thing, President Akufo-Addo has also given the vice president [Dr Bawumia] every opportunity to lead processes of governance,” he said emphatically.
Speaking in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM, Mr. Kyerematen drew a parallel between the late former President John Evans Fiifi Atta-Mills, who allowed then Vice President John Dramani Mahama to lead processes, and President Akufo-Addo, who has given Dr. Bawumia similar opportunities.
He admitted to being part of the mismanagement of the economy during his tenure as a Trade Minister until his resignation in September 2023, when he parted ways with the NPP.
The former Trade and Industry Minister underscored the importance of his capabilities as a change agent, despite his involvement in the economic mess.
As the Movement for Change leader and founder, KMr yerematen explained, governments are not solely run by ministers but by an executive authority at the highest level, making it difficult for Bawumia to absolve himself of complete blame.
