The NPP 2024 flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has mocked the governing NDC’s flagship 24-hour economy promise as empty rhetoric amid what he says is the worsening power outages.
Speaking during an interaction with members of the Young Executive Forum (YEF) in London as part of his post-election Thank You Tour of the UK, the former Vice President questioned the practicality of sustaining a round-the-clock economy without stable electricity.
“They told us they will bring in a 24-hour economy. This is their flagship promise, their flagship policy, 24-hour economy,” he recalled.
“Of course, we all knew it was a joke…Today, it’s completely missing from their policy. They are not even talking about it. It didn’t appear in their budget.”
Then came his sharpest jab: “How can you have a 24-hour economy with dumsor at the same time? I mean, you can’t.”
The former Vice President accused the NDC of returning the country to an era of chronic power crises, arguing that the current situation proves the NPP’s earlier warnings correct.
“Dumsor has taken over, and we warned Ghanaians that dumsor and NDC work together, and that was going to happen. Ghanaians didn’t listen, but we basically have been proven right,” he said.
“Dumsor is pretty bad, and it’s likely to get worse from what we can see.”
He warned that the government’s struggles with power generation, cost of living, and unmet promises will increasingly alienate Ghanaians.
“In just five months, the NDC in government is being exposed,” Bawumia declared. “By the time they hit four years, I think you will see a big clamour for the NPP to come back into office.”
Dr. Bawumia claimed the NDC misled Ghanaians with sweeping promises in opposition that they are now failing to fulfil in office.
“They told so many lies in opposition. They said that when they come, they will bring down the cost of kinky and the cost of living. I don’t know. Have you noticed the reduction in prices in Ghana? No. Prices are rather going up.”
He pointed to the price of cement and other commodities as evidence of inflationary pressures, and said the government’s excuse-making was wearing thin.
“They also lied to cocoa farmers that they are going to increase the price of a bag of cocoa from ¢3,100 to ¢7,000. The cocoa farmers were very excited and voted for them. But today they are saying that they had wrong information, so they are not going to increase the cocoa price.”
Teachers and miners, he said, had also been let down.
“They told teachers that once they get into office, the teacher licensure exams will be abolished. The teachers were very excited, and they voted for them. Today, they are telling them that they won’t touch the licensure exam again.”
On illegal mining, he added, “They said that when they come, galamsey will be stopped. Now they’ve come, and galamsey is rather increasing.”
Bawumia expressed confidence that the NPP would return to power in 2028, riding on Ghanaians’ eventual disillusionment with the NDC.
“People usually, after eight years, you know, get tired of governments. This is why we wanted to break the eight. But that didn’t happen.”
He likened President Akufo-Addo to former President John Kufuor, whom he said was unpopular at the time of leaving office but later appreciated by Ghanaians.
“Today, he is one of the most popular presidents who has come in the history of our country. He’s very popular today because people have had a chance to reflect on his accomplishments.”
He added, “That is the same way I believe that whilst people sit down and reflect over the next four years, and especially contrast with what NDC is doing, people will appreciate the work the Nana Akufo-Addo’s government also did for Ghana.
“People will appreciate it. And I believe that posterity will be kind to Nana Akufo-Addo and the government of the NPP.”
While admitting his party made mistakes, Dr. Bawumia took responsibility.
“We got quite a few things wrong, and I think that on my own behalf, on behalf of the party and the government, I apologise to all of you for us not getting the things right that we should have gotten.”
But he was upbeat about the NPP’s prospects. “I am very, very optimistic about 2028… I believe that 2028 NPP is going to come back into government.”
He cited Ghana’s political history as one of his reasons for hope.
“Our political history suggests that it is usually very difficult for a first-time presidential candidate to win an election in Ghana… I believe we will have a very big advantage.”
Dr. Bawumia ended his remarks with a rallying call to supporters in the diaspora: “I want to count on all of your support.”
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