Bawumia must apologise to drivers' mates - Hannah Bissiw

The National Women’s Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw-Kotei, has called on Vice President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to issue an unqualified apology to all drivers' mates in the country.

Dr. Bissiw-Kotei expressed her concern over a recent statement by the Vice President, in which he referred to himself as a driver’s mate to the "main driver," the President.

She criticized this remark as derogatory, suggesting that it unfairly portrayed drivers' mates as individuals who lack the ability to make decisions.

Speaking on Accra 100.5 FM’s Ghana Yensom morning show, co-hosted by Otafrigya Kayire Kwesi Appea-Apreku and Odehyeeba Kofi Essuman, on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei explained that the Vice President’s comments did not accurately reflect the responsibilities of drivers' mates.

She emphasized that a driver’s mate plays a crucial role in the transport sector, including making key decisions about where vehicles should stop and managing daily sales.

"For the Vice President to create the impression that he could not make decisions as a driver’s mate to the President was derogatory," she stated.

Dr. Bissiw-Kotei demanded an apology from Dr. Bawumia on behalf of all drivers' mates, asserting that his comments demeaned their important contributions to the transport value chain in the country.

She concluded by emphasizing that drivers' friends are vital to the country’s transport system and should not be dismissed or undervalued, as Bawumia's remarks suggested.