You're propelling Bawumia for 2024 presidential seat - Allotey Jacobs to NDC

Allotey Jacobs, a former NDC Central Regional Chairman, has advised the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to stop their incessant attacks on Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

In recent developments, the Vice President and former President John Dramani Mahama have been comparing track records of the previous government and the incumbent Akufo-Addo administration.

Mr. Mahama has been holding digital conversations where he addresses the nation on pertinent national issues.

During one of such regular digital conversations, Mr. Mahama touted his achievements stressing he has an outstanding track record than President Nana Akufo-Addo and accused the current administration of putting the economy on ventilators because the Coronavirus pandemic has exposed the latter's bad governance.

“Just one month of this Government funding just some sections of the economy and vulnerable persons at home due to the coronavirus, our economy has gone to the ICU and is in tatters now and needs critical health examination,” said former President John Mahama.

He also alluded to the President's promise of constructing 88 Regional and 6 district hospitals in the country, saying the Akufo-Addo administration has plagiarized his ideas and repackaged them as new policies.

“In his last broadcast and indeed previous ones, the President echoed many of the ideas and policies I have previously outlined. It is gratifying to note that he is listening. Any addition to our health infrastructure is ordinarily welcome but it is regrettable that it had to take COVID-19 to jolt him into this civility about the importance of such critical investments in healthcare...he fundamental difference between our two respective positions is that I come to the table with an outstanding track record of actually delivering many of such projects with less resources than he has had in the last three and half years. Fellow Ghanaians, the NDC comes to the table with a clear plan of modernization of our healthcare system. This plan considers global best practices and will have features that guarantee equitable access to quality healthcare for all Ghanaians," he said.

In a rebuttal to the comments by the former President, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia noted that Mahama superintended a very weak economy where the provision of "common chalk" was even a problem.

To Dr. Bawumia, Mahama has no track record except creating economic misery for Ghanaians.



''We saw that even during dumsor, electricity prices were being increased, fuel prices were being increased, teacher trainee allowances were being cancelled, nursing trainee training allowances were being cancelled. All of that was happening during that particular crisis," he expounded, stating further that ''if you want to test the robustness of an economy, you test it in a time of crises. Thankfully, we have had two crises. Under the NDC, it was an internally-generated crisis, which was dumsor. Under the Presidency of Nana Akufo-Addo, there has been an externally generated crisis, which has been the global Coronavirus pandemic.”

"They left us with declining agriculture, declining industry, interest rates were high, inflations was high. In fact, if you look at the data in terms of macroeconomic performance, in any economy since the year 2000, the tenure of the former President was the worst in terms of outcomes in macroeconomic performance...Common chalk was even a problem in our schools," he added.

The challenge which was started by the former President has also taken a political dimension with leadership and members of the NDC and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) going head-to-head about which government deserves the thumbprint of the Ghanaian electorates.

Touching on the issues on Wednesday's 'Kokrokoo' on Peace FM, Allotey Jacobs stated that the strategy by the NDC to respond to Dr. Bawumia whenever he talks may backfire in the face of the party.

According to him, what the NDC needs to be doing is not to delight themselves with giving quick replies to the Vice President, but rather look for someone from the party to match his calibre.

To Allotey Jacobs, the party is somehow throwing aimless political missiles at Dr. Bawumia and as a result, preparing him for the 2024 Presidential seat.

"My own party says I shouldn't speak for them. Some even claim I am NPP in NDC cloth. Others have no clue how NDC was formed. If I decide to talk right now, it will become an issue. They claim I have collected money to elevate Bawumia but I'll always advise that there is an elder in every home.

"...my advice to the NDC is you're setting a platform for Vice President Bawumia for 2024. That's what you're doing if you don't know. It is resonating with the people, the elite class and the middle class," he emphatically stated.