How international media reported Adongo's description of Bawumia as 'Economic Maguire'

Some international news outlets got some really good content for their audiences after a Member of Parliament in Ghana’s parliament made the most unexpected comparison between the country’s vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and Manchester United captain, Harry Maguire.

While speaking on the floor of Ghana’s parliament, Isaac Adongo, the MP for Bolgatanga Central, chastised Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who is also the Head of the Economic Management Team, for scoring 'own goals' with the abysmal performance on the economy.

Using the football analogy to drum home his message on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, as the House debated the 2023 budget statement, the MP indicated that just as Harry Maguire of Manchester United Football Club, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is Ghana's “Economic Maguire”.

Adongo explained that Manchester United's Maguire has become a threat to the defence of his club by scoring ‘own goals’ and assisting opponents to beat his club, arguing that Dr. Bawumia has become a risk to the economy and thereby was destroying the fundamentals of the Ghanaian economy.

The MP noted that, before the ruling New Patriotic Party assumed office in 2016, Dr. Bawumia was projected to be the ‘economic wizard’, delivering lectures on how to tackle the cedi depreciation and improve the economy.

“This ‘Economic Maguire’ went to Mallam Atta market and we were clapping, saying that this man is the best in managing foreign currency. The same ‘Economic Maguire’ was roaming at Central University delivering lectures on how to restore the value of the cedi.

“Mr. Speaker, when we gave this Maguire the opportunity to be at the centre of our defence, he became the risk of our own goal. Dr. Bawumia, our Economic Maguire is now tackling all the fundamentals of our economy and destroying all of them,” Isaac Adongo said on the floor amid laughter by the MPs.

But the news did not just stop within the borders of Ghana.

In a number of international news reports sighted by GhanaWeb, the Bolgatanga MP’s comments have been captured, with a number of them indicating how the legislator made mockery of the British player.

“Despite good performances at the World Cup so far, England's Harry Maguire was used as an example by an MP in Ghana to ridicule the vice president who he accused of economic mismanagement,” Al Jazeera reported.

See how others reported on the news below:

Despite good performances at the World Cup so far, England's Harry Maguire was used as an example by an MP in Ghana to ridicule the vice president who he accused of economic mismanagement ????

???? #Qatar2020 LIVE coverage: https://t.co/wxtAourpg4 pic.twitter.com/Jhp54IAnbS

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 1, 2022

Harry Maguire as a case study in Ghana's parliament pic.twitter.com/Y6e8PY0Ce0

— YabaLeftOnline (@yabaleftonline) December 1, 2022

Harry Maguire has been mocked by a Ghanaian MP who unfavourably compared the nation's vice president to the England and Manchester United star.

Read more on this story: https://t.co/UIoUJX8gzF pic.twitter.com/MyTOtMT2DP

— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 1, 2022

Why is Man Utd and England star, @HarryMaguire93, a topic of a heated discussion in Ghana's parliament? https://t.co/8lG9TdLA6P

— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) December 1, 2022