Friday, 22 November

Alan is wrong, Kufuor is Right, Bawumia is the best man for the Presidency: Razak Kojo Opoku

Feature Article
John Agyekum Kufour and Dr Bawumia

Former President J. A. Kufuor is 100% right to say that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is the person with the right attitude, competence, integrity and strategic mindset to transform Ghana.

The unpleasant attacks from Alan Kyerematen  in response to Kufuor's endorsement of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia can be best described as "a person old in age, yet carrying the burden of wounds and bitterness due to the person's defeats in the 2007, 2010, 2014, and 2023 Presidential Primaries of the New Patriotic Party". 

Without healing it would be extremely difficult for God Almighty to grant Alan Kyerematen access to the Jubilee House. 

Sincerely speaking, Alan and his household are the major cause of the defeats and declining relevance of Alan in the political environment of Ghana. 

Unfortunately, Alan's relevance in the NPP faded like a leaf largely because of his inability to sustain and improve upon the goodwill that he attracted during the 2007 Presidential Primaries. 

Former President Kufuor never devalued your worth, in fact, your name was not mentioned throughout his interview endorsing Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. 

Why should Alan therefore be offended by Kufuor's endorsement of Dr. Mahamudu? Is Kufuor a member of Afrafanto? 

The sense of political entitlement by Alan and his supporters is a very serious character challenge.

Has Alan ever wondered about the number of people that his political decisions over the years have negatively impacted and rendered useless in NPP; creating a high level of mistrust for his followers?

According to  Alan Kyerematen, he is the originator of  70% of the Policies under the Kufuor administration. This is a complete fallacy and delusional. 

Apart from the field of trade, what expertise does Alan Kyerematen possess?

A bigger question is, were 70% of Kufuor's policies trade related?

Is Alan Kyerematen the only person in the NPP and Ghana who could reason and come out with excellent policies or ideas?  

The utterances of Alan against Kufuor amount to hyper-inflated view of his performance and track record in Kufuor's government.

It is important for Alan Kyerematen, and supporters to understand that the loss of NPP in the 2024 general election would not automatically get Alan Kyerematen elected as the President of the Republic of Ghana. 

Also, it is very necessary for Alan Kyerematen to do sober reflections on the following:

1. John Agyekum Kufuor has been a President of the Republic of Ghana before, an achievement Alan Kyerematen might NOT be able to experience for the rest of his political career.

2. Former President Kufuor has NEVER served under Alan Kyerematen as an appointee but Alan Kyerematen served under Kufuor's presidency. 

In effect, politically, Kufuor's government made you relevant in the public service. A servant, in this case Alan can NEVER outshine his Master Kufuor. 

3. No one pushed you out of NPP, it was your own decision supported by your lovely wife to exit from the NPP because you were seriously offended and angered by the decision of delegates of NPP to settle on Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia (1st) and Kennedy Agyapong (2nd) over you.

4. Kufuor as a Former President on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) has every legitimate right under the 1992 Constitution and the Constitution of the New Patriotic Party to fully endorse and promote Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to the electorates ahead of the December 7th, 2024 general election.

5. Alan exited from the NPP to form his own Movement for Change (Afrafanto) without informing or seeking wise counsel from Kufuor. 

Therefore, Kufuor is not obligated to seek the opinion of Alan Kyerematen before endorsing or refusing to endorse Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, a man destined to lead Ghana and NPP.

6. No one in the NPP prevented Alan Kyerematen from consistently engaging party's grassroots, and nurturing, mentoring, resourcing, and sponsoring members of NPP for the positions of Executives and Parliamentary candidates.

7. No one in the NPP prevented Alan Kyerematen from building media structures, think-tanks and grassroots support within the Party.

8. No one in the NPP prevented the wife of Alan Kyerematen from actively taking an interest in the activities of the NPP.

9. No one in the NPP prevented Mrs. Patricia Christabel Kyerematen, the wife of Alan Kyerematen from setting up a "Foundation", a special purpose vehicle to support the presidential ambition of her husband just like Ghanaians experienced the positive works of:

(a). Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects(SEHP), owned by Mrs. Samira Bawumia.

(b). Rebecca Foundation, owned by Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo.

 (c). Mother and Child Community Development(MCCDF), owned by Mrs. Theresa Kufuor.

(d). Foundation for Child Education Ghana(FCEG), owned by Mrs. Ernestina Naadu Mills.

(e). Lordina Foundation, owned by Mrs. Lordina Mahama.

(f). 31st December Women's Movement, owned by Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.

While some women were busy strategically setting up Foundations to support their husbands’ presidential campaigns, a particular wife of a presidential candidate is busy sowing seeds of discords, bitterness, and jealousy, into the heart of her husband; completely poisoning the emotions and psychology of a once respected politician who served in Kufuor's government and Akufo-Addo's government as a Minister of Trade and Industry.

10. Did anyone in the NPP prevent Alan Kyerematen from regularly attending Akwasidae and Awukudae in the Ashanti Region?  

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, a non-Ashanti has consistently, without fail, attended almost all the celebrations of Akwasidae and Awukudae of Asanteman, respecting the culture, traditions and customs of Asanteman.

11. How can Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, a non-Ashanti relate so well with Asanteman but an indigenous son like Alan Kyerematen struggle to do so?

12. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has personally contributed to the building of a Central Mosque in Ashanti Region, benefitting thousands of Muslims in the Region including Asantekramos. 

What has Alan personally built for the Christian Community in the Ashanti Region, which is both his father's and mother's hometown?

13. Did any Member of the New Patriotic Party ask Alan Kyerematen to abandoned the 2012 electioneering campaign of NPP in pursuit of his personal ambition of becoming the Director-General of World Trade Organization(WTO)?

14. Did any member of the New Patriotic Party force Alan Kyerematen to issue a resignation letter to the Party's leadership after the 2007 Presidential Primaries? 

Having vision and ambition alone is not  good enough to become President. You equally need superior strategy and structures within and outside of the Political Party, and this is an approach Alan Kyerematen failed to appreciate. 

Always campaigning with bitter souls has negatively affected Alan's chances at the Presidency. 

We were told by the supporters of Alan Kyerematen that, the Presidential Special Initiatives(PSI) introduced in the erstwhile Kufuor's government was the brainchild of Alan Kyerematen.

The question is, what has been the impact of those PSI in Ghana since their implementations?

However, many Ghanaians are directly and indirectly benefitting from the sustainable initiatives of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia such as:

1. Medical Drones

2. Mobile Money Interoperability

3. E-Pharmacy and Telehealth Services App.

4. Paperless Port System.

5. Digital Addressing System

6. Ghana Card

7. National Health Insurance App

8. Ghana. Gov, enabling MMDAs to offer top-notch digitized services to Ghanaians from a single platform.

9. Automation of Premix Fuel Distribution System

10. Sinohydro deal, leading to the construction of Tamale Interchange.

Also, ahead of the 2024 general elections, the two most powerful policies that can position Ghana well in the community of nations were proposed by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia namely:

1. Blue Economy

The blue economy(also known as ocean economy) has an estimated turnover between $3 and $6 trillion, as well as create about 260 million jobs to the global economy.

2. Digital Economy

In 2016, the global digital economy was worth $11.5 trillion, equivalent to 15.5% of the World's overall Gross Domestic Product. In 2022, the digital economy contributed $4.27 trillion to the economy of the United States of America. In 2023, the digital economy constituted 43% of China's Gross Domestic Product.

The total economy of Africa is $3.1 trillion(2023 final data), which is far below the $4.2 trillion contribution of the digital economy to the economy of the United States of America in 2022.

The future of every economy is digitalization, technology economy or digital economy.

The 24-hour economy is a subset of a digital economy.

In conclusion, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is the Best Man to lead Ghana for the next four years, and Former President Kufuor is right to promote the candidacy of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

Source: Classfmonline.com/Cecil Mensah