Former Finance Minister Seth Terkper has criticised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for what he perceives as a belated acceptance of blame regarding the country's economic challenges.

Mr Terkper expressed his discontent, stating that the president's acknowledgement should have occurred much earlier, preferably in May 2023.

In a scathing rebuke, Mr Terkper questioned the president's actions over the past years, asking what measures were taken when the state of the economy was initially brought to the president's attention.

He rejected the notion that the president could blame him for the current economic situation, asserting his stance during an interview on Accra-based Joy FM's 6:00 AM show.

As part of his response to the president's statements, Mr Terkper announced plans to organise a media dialogue on Ghana's International Monetary Fund (IMF) Programme. 

This event aims to provide further insights and clarification on the economic challenges facing the nation.

Meanwhile the president, during his final State of the Nation Address to Parliament, accepted all blame for the economic difficulties faced by the country. 

He told Parliament on Tuesday, 27 February 2024, during his State of the Nation Address that as the executive authority, the buck stopped with him.

A few weeks ago, Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, said: "I am like a driver’s mate," a remark that drew criticism from the opposition who accused him of attempting to dissociate himself from the failures of the Akufo-Addo government.

"But if, by the Grace of God, you make me President, I will be in the drivers seat with constitutionally mandated authority to pursue my vision and my priorities," Dr Bawumia said on Wednesday, 7 January 2024, in a speech outlining his vision for Ghana.

"So, what do I want to do in terms of vision, priorities and policies if you give me the opportunity, by the Grace of God, to become President of the Republic of Ghana?

"Ladies and Gentlemen, in this regard, I have been engaged in a lot of consultation and doing a lot of thinking in the last few months about lessons of the last seven years as well as my vision and priorities as I seek to become President of the Republic of Ghana

"Clearly, the initial conditions that we inherited in 2017 are not the same as will be in 2025. Therefore, my priorities will be different," Dr Bawumia explained.

He continued: "We have done many good things and I will be seeking to build on them.

"My vision is to create a tent big enough to accommodate all our people, to tap into the resourcefulness and talents of our people irrespective of our different ethnic, political and religious backgrounds, to channel our energies into building the kind of country that assures a food self-sufficient, safe, prosperous, and dignified future for all Ghanaians, to create sustainable jobs with meaningful pay for all, and for Ghana to participate fully in the fourth industrial revolution using systems and data