In a pointed critique, political strategist and NDC activist, Dela Coffie has challenged Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s portrayal as a “problem solver,” arguing that his track record as Chairman of the Economic Management Team has been riddled with unfulfilled promises and economic mismanagement.
He began his critique by recounting that Dr Bawumia, often touted as an economic wizard, campaigned heavily on the NPP’s promise to transform Ghana’s economy.
He noted that Dr Bawumia’s rallying cry during the 2016 elections—”Broken Economy”—resonated with many Ghanaians as he criticized the NDC’s economic policies and painted a vision of industrialization, financial stability, and a shift from a “tax-and-spend” model to production-driven growth.
However, Dela Coffie strongly asserted that this vision has not materialized, leaving the country in worse shape than before.
“Among other things, he gave a clear insight into how NPP views its economic policies and theories. He stressed that the NPP was about the ‘Guggisberg Economy’, not tax and spend: He said the NPP was the party of business, and that the economy was going to see major reformation and transformation –
“Dr Bawumia argued for industrialization, modern supply-side policies, risk-taking and moving the economy away from taxation to production. And the key policy? Financial stability and restoring the value of the cedi against the US dollar”.
Dela Coffie, a Political Strategist and NDC Activist
The National Democratic Congress Activist strongly criticized the ruling NPP, arguing that it had a rare opportunity to create a fairer and more progressive society but failed to “fix the roof while the sun shone”.
Dela Coffie pointed to stark economic realities, including interest rates surging to an unprecedented 30%, Ghana’s credit rating downgrades, Debt distress and unsustainable borrowing.
He condemned the infamous “haircuts” imposed on bondholders by the ruling government through the Domestic Debt Exchange Program (DDEP), decrying the depreciating cedi, soaring food inflation, and an unbearable cost of living.
A Legacy of Broken Promises
Dela Coffie criticized the NPP for leveraging Dr. Bawumia’s reputation when politically expedient, only to sidestep accountability for his economic failures. He accused the administration of creating precisely the “broken economy” it had pledged to fix.
“If there is one single thing, above ALL others, that is unforgivable about the last eight years of the catastrophic NPP rule, it has been their use of Dr. Bawumia’s economic prowess as a pawn and bargaining counter when it suits them,” Dela Coffie lamented.
He pointed out that Dr Bawumia’s tenure has been marred by unresolved issues, including skyrocketing inflation and a debt crisis that necessitated Ghana’s IMF bailout.
Dela Coffie questioned how the man heralded as an economic problem solver could leave such a legacy, asserting, “It cannot be the case that Dr. Bawumia is capable of solving all complex problems except that of the economy“.
Dela Coffie’s critique culminated in a stern warning against granting Dr. Bawumia further political power. He described the Vice President’s approach to governance as a betrayal of the millions of Ghanaians who believed in his vision.
“In almost every realm of government activity, the ‘Bawumia-Guggisberg Economy’ has utterly blighted millions of lives, made life worse, and has created exactly the broken economy it claimed its mission was to repair,” Dela Coffie charged.
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