Dr. Bawumia’s media engagement: My observations and views

Late legendary Ghanaian highlife musician who is arguable the greatest musician in Ghana’s history Nana Kwame Ampadu has a wonderful and compelling song called “kwaa Atta”.

In this song, there was a character called Kwaa Ata who happens to be jealous of the success of all those around him forgetting that we all have different destinies and our blessings comes in diverse ways.

Kwaa Atta’s friend was a hunter called Dapaah, one day, Dapaah went hunting and lost his way back home, he walked around the forest for three days. An army of dwarfs came along and helped Dapaah who was a very humble person. The dwarfs asked him what he wanted and he said he just want direction to his house.

The dwarfs asked for proof of being a hunter, Dapaah was able to prove with evidence, the head of the dwarfs gave him a box and directed him to his house and advised him to open the box only when he gets home.

He did exactly that and the box was full of money. Dapaah offered his best friend Kwaa Atta half of the money but greedy Kwaa Atta refused the offer and went to the bush pretending to be lost so that he can also get the same favour Dapaah got when in actual fact he was not lost. The dwarfs appeared and in the end Kwaa Atta landed himself into a serious trouble that lead to his hand being amputated.

This is exactly what happened to the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, he only organised the media encounter in order to gain the adulation former president John Dramani Mahama got from his media engagement.

When former president John Dramani Mahama engaged the media and received applauds and adulations for his sterling performance in answering the questions immaculately, majority of Ghanaians fell in love with the NDC flagbearer due to how he answered the questions with honesty. He proved that he is knowledgeable and on top of issues.

Dr. Bawumia like the proverbial “Kwaa Atta” who has never ever organised any media engagement in his political life, and having realised that his political strategy and campaign style are failing and not connecting with the masses has decided to copy the destiny of John Dramani Mahama by organising a media engagement.

This has turned out to be the greatest mistake he has ever made, because the media engagement completely backfire. Dr. Bawumia’s performance on the night was abysmal and disastrous; he was wobbly, shaky and inconsistent in answering the questions.

Like “Kwaa Atta”, Dr. Bawumia’s miscalculated attempt to organise has backfired in a manner that will negatively affect his presidential ambition. He was evasive in answering the questions from the media.

For example, Sampson Lardi Ayenini asked him if he will prosecute government officials who have used their influence to access the scholarship grants whiles Ghanaian students are suffering in foreign countries; he couldn’t answer it and deliberately deviated.

When asked about his plans for the National cathedral and the National amputees football team, his response showed how unprepared he was for the media engagement, he said I will consult religious leaders and the finance minister respectively. There was lack of responsibility in his answers.

Additionally, when he was asked about what plans he has for journalists he completely deviated and spent more minutes talking about credit scoring system. It was an embarrassing spectacle for the vice president.

On the issue of the exchange rate he criticised when USD1 was GHC4 and today GHC15, his response was the usual excuse of COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine war.

Dr. Bawumia spent long time giving irrelevant and boring stories that has nothing to do with the questions from the journalists.

Another issue worthy of discussing is the timing of this disastrous media engagement. In their mischievous attempt to suppress media discussions on the NDC’s manifesto which was launched in Winneba on 24th August 2024, the NPP intentionally organised their media engagement the day after which is 25th August 2024.

The media engagement was harshly organised hence the lack of preparedness on the part of Dr. Bawumia as evidently seen in the way he struggled to answer the questions coherently with facts and figure as John Mahama did effortlessly.

Kwaa Atta has out of jealousy and envy shot himself in the foot.