Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia
Both Muslims and non-muslim in Ghana hold high esteem and adore the stature of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as the second Muslim to occupy the most enviable political seat beside the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama in the political history of the Republic of Ghana.
The peaceful co-existence of multiple religious bodies has reached a point where involvement of the religious factors for political gains cannot be relegated to the background.
The choice of the Dr Bawumia as a running mate by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and the New Patriotic Party fraternity prior to 20102 general elections was greeted with multi-faceted factors including his rich experience in the field of Economics and again being a Muslims.
This gesture of the New Patriotic Party has arguably made the governing party to appreciate votes in Zongo communities across the country. One would like to know beyond the political space that His Excellency Dr Mahamudu Bawumia occupied, how well is he in touch with the grassroots across the political divides in terms of leadership with responsibility.
The generosity of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in responding to the social, economic and health needs of people in the Muslims fraternity cannot be swept under the carpet. Although, from scripture perspective, a good deed done for the sake of Allah must not be known by a third party. But, when such gestures are not known as valuable information, people without such information will be left in the dark.
This is not to say that the generosity of the second man of the mother Ghana is limited to only people in comfort familiarization. However, pointing those gestures are significant in view of the deplorable nature of Zongos communities in the country.
The Vice President has honoured several generosities that cannot be capture by this article. However, an attempt is hereby made to present some of the generosities of the second gentleman of the land dear to any well-meaning Ghanaian. It would be recalled that the Vice President embarked Ramadan tour to Western Region in 2019.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia visited several communities including Kamgbunli in the Ellembelle district. Dr Mahamudu Bawumia promised to build a six-unit classroom block for the Kamgbunli community. Only Muslims are dwellers of Kamgbunli community. According to the Western Region Imam of Ahlu Sunnah wa Jama, Sheikh Suleiman Mozu, the project is currently in progress. Besides the six-unit classroom block project, the Vice President is also on record to have made appreciable donations to the various mosques he visited for the operations and management of the facility.
Notwithstanding the single-handling project in Kamgbunli community, the nerves of Muslims in the Twin-city (Sekondi-Takoradi) were put to test in responding to the deteriorating health of the late Sheikh Abdul Karim Yussif of Efia Kuma. His Excellency, the Vice President requested for the total cost of treating the Sheikh in India.
Again, according to Sheikh Mozu, the leadership of Muslims in the Western Region sent an estimate of thirty-six thousand United State of America dollars ($36,000.00) but to their surprise, Dr Bawumia gave them an amount of forty thousand United States dollars ($40,000.00) for the treatment of the Sheikh Yussif. The amount donated was to take care of the Sheikh’s medical bills and the ticket for travelling to India among other expenses.
Although Allah received the final breath of the Sheikh Abdul Karim Yussif in India, this noble gesture must be appreciated. It should be noted that work is done and appreciated by the living souls will certainly have a blessing from the Creator as well.
Finally, Muslims fraternity in the Ashanti region particular Kumasi Central mosques have also received their share of the Vice President numerous generosity. The Vice President is on record to have shown a massive love to the people of Kumasi by responding to their request for settling their long-accumulated lease arrears.
The sum of the arrears stands at one hundred and twenty thousand Ghana cedis (Ghc120,000.00) but the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia augmented the effort of the community members by giving them the balance of eighty-five thousand Ghana cedis (Ghc85,000.00).
In conclusion, it is important one make a clear distinct political connotation from service to humanity in our daily interactions. It is also significant to note that the beneficiaries of these kind gestures from the Vice President are not only from his political party but from the inclusion of others. Further, we have to learn that primacy politics is to course positive effects on the larger society. Regardless of who occupies the political office of the country, the general good of the people should be the ultimate agenda.