We reluctantly released him to Akufo-Addo – Former AfDB Boss hails Bawumia’s technical skill

Former president of the African Development Bank Donald P. Kaberuka has hailed Ghana’s Vice President for his highly technical and his political insights into Africa revealing that the group reluctantly released Dr. Bawumia to Akufo-Addo back then.

He was speaking at the launch of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) on Thursday, January 13, 2022.

To him, the Vice President’s contribution to the growth of the African Development Bank cannot be overlooked.

He recalled that when the Vice President joined the Bank after he had left Oxford University, there was a challenge in one of the countries.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia according to Donald P. Kaberuka was appointed to deal with the issue which was giving the bank sleepless nights and he performed beyond expectation in the role.

Donald P. Kaberuka said with the Vice President’s knowledge, the Bank was reluctant to let him go when he announced he was resigning to join Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to run for the Presidency of Ghana.

However, he is glad that he decided to let him go considering the achievement Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has garnered under his sleeves for the people of Ghana.

“I was privileged to lead for 10 years at the Institution but with the help of Vice President Bawumia…Thank you sir for what you did in the African Development Bank. I don’t want to flatter my brother here, he does not like flattering.

"I recall when he joined us he was then coming from Oxford and I spoke with him and I realised that this was a young man with huge potential to help me solve one of the biggest problems I had at the time in one of the countries on the continent.

"He is someone with the combination of highly technical skills, very good political insight and the sense of where one could set things strategically and I appointed Bawumia to that position.

"I tell you, he did not disappoint. Infact when he announced he was moving on for what he’s doing now, I was one of those who were very reluctant but now seeing what you’ve done in your country in Ghana, I think we made the right decision to let you go,” he said.

Financial and Fintech leaders from across the African continent met in Accra for the commercial launch of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) on Thursday, January 13, 2022.

PAPSS is a cross-border, financial market infrastructure instantly connecting payment transactions across Africa, eliminating the need to route such payments through third party banks usually located outside the continent.

It is an African Solution to an African problem and it is the most practical and an important attainment in payment systems integration on the continent.