Claim that Bawumia can’t be blamed for economic woes is bogus and laughable – Asah-Asante

A Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante has described a claim that Vice President Dr Mahamudud Bawumia cannot be held liable for the economic challenges because he is not the man in charge, as laughable and bogus.

He says that argument should not be accepted by anyone.

“I think it is laughable in the sense that we have heard that anytime there is something worthy of praise relative to policy of the government of the day, quickly they credit the vice president but when there are difficulties they want to shield the Vice President, that he is not the man in charge.

“That argument is a bogus one that can never be taken seriously by anybody,” he said on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3Monday November 27.

His comments come on the back of the defense that the Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu mounted in favour of Dr Bawumia against criticisms that he mismanaged the economy as head of the Economic Management Team (EMT).

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu indicated that Dr Bawumia only played advisory roles. The buck stops with the President, he intimated.

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Speaking in an interview with TV3’s Keminni Amanor on TV3’s Hot Issues, the Suame lawmaker said: “The management of the economy is at the behest of the person who wields executive power, the Vice President is only to advise the boss, the buck stops with the boss.”

Critics including Former President John Dramani Mahama have accused the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr Bawumia of plunging the economy into difficulties.

Mr Mahama called for the removal of Dr Bawumia as head of the EMT because he has failed.

In an earlier statement welcoming the decision by the Akufo-Ado administration to head to the IMF, Mr Mahama said on Saturday, July 2, 2022 that “President Akufo-Addo must take a bold decision to replace his finance minister immediately with a more assured and competent person who is willing and able to work tirelessly to turn our almost hopeless situation around.

‘In addition, given his obvious failures, the Vice President must be relieved of his responsibility as Chair of the Economic Management Team to enable the President to reconstitute the team.

“We must draw useful lessons from this episode and avoid cheap politicking with the economy; that can only yield the disastrous outcomes that have brought us here.”

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