The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper West Region has issued a strongly worded statement urging the public to disregard Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s recent tour of the region, characterizing it as a deceitful and misleading campaign.
Issah Kantagyere, the Regional Communications Officer for the opposition party, in a statement asserted that Dr. Bawumia’s tour was filled with what he described as “goofed, unfounded, and reckless statements”.
“The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper West Region has taken note of a two-day deceit tour of the Vice President and Flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to the region on the 19th and 20th May, 2024, where he interacted with the clergy, traditional authorities, students, market women, party faithful etc, and as typical of him, made a lot of goofed, unfounded and reckless statements which cannot be left unattended to”.
Issah Kantagyere, the Regional Communication Officer, Upper West Region
The National Democratic Congress’s Upper West Regional Communication Officer condemned Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, for his criticisms against former President John Dramani Mahama during an interaction with the clergy at the Regional Library, a project built by Mr Mahama.
He also refuted the Vice President. Dr Bawumia claims to have initiated 33 policies, while stating that former President John Dramani Mahama as a Vice President achieved single-digit inflation for over 31 months and maintained a stable currency, unlike Dr Bawumia who has seen the cedi’s value drop from GH₵4.2 to over GH₵15 per dollar.
Furthermore, Issah Kantagyere, the Upper West Regional Communications Officer for the NDC accused Dr. Bawumia of failing to fulfil numerous promises he made to Ghanaians while in opposition.
He decried what he consider as the Vice President’s poor economic management, pointing to the depreciation of the cedi and the need for an IMF bailout under his watch.
Mr Issah Kantagyere also criticized the Vice President for spearheading the introduction of the e-levy, only to now campaign on its potential abolition, when elected as President.
Stage-Managed Crowds and Disruption of Education
Moreover, the National Democratic Congress in the Upper West Region chastised the Vice President and the New Patriotic Party for bussing students to the ruling party’s campaign rallies in the region.
According to the statement, the situation occurred when the functionaries and supporters of the ruling party abandoned the Vice President, resulting in scanty crowds at his events.
The statement emphasized that to compensate for the situation, the ruling party and the Vice President’s Campaign Team bussed students from Senior High Schools in Wa to events, disrupting their education and risking their safety for the sake of creating the illusion of support.
The National Democratic Congress in the Upper West Region condemned the alleged act as a desperate attempt by the Vice President to deceive the public, underscoring the loss of contact hours and the potential negative impact on the student’s academic performance.
The Upper West Regional Communications Officer for the NDC called on parents and educational stakeholders to demand answers and hold the Vice President accountable for what he termed as a reckless disregard for the welfare of the students.
In addition, the Upper West Regional Communications Officer for the NDC listed several unfulfilled promises by Dr Bawumia, including the failure to complete the Hain-Tumu road, the construction of an Astroturf in Tumu, and the provision of tablets to students—a promise, he noted remains unmet as of 2023.
Mr Issah Kantagyere urged the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to apologize to the affected communities and students for these failures and for prioritizing his political ambitions over genuine developmental needs.
The National Democratic Congress in the Upper West Region also urged the residents of the Upper West Region not to trust the candidacy of the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu, describing his tour to the region as a “comic, lying, and failed” attempt to gain support.
The statement called on the public to remember the Vice President’s past contradictions and failures and to reject his bid for the Presidency in the upcoming general elections.
Issah Kantagyere, the Regional Communications Officer for the NDC, concluded the statement by emphasizing the party’s stance that Dr Bawumia’s tour was nothing more than a desperate and deceptive bid for political support.
The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is also the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), embarked on a two-day tour from May 19 to May 20, 2024, interacting with various groups including clergy, traditional authorities, students, market women, and party faithful.
READ ALSO: Mental Health, Urged To Be Prioritized Among The Youth