Linking theory to practice: Where Dr. Bawumia struggles

Dr. Madu Bawuah was one of the best engineering lecturers of his generation, specialising in automotive mechanics. He has written over seventy books on automotive mechanics. He has over 1,000 published articles in peer-reviewed journals, cited and referenced by thousands of students in the field of automotive mechanics.

He is an excellent orator in the field of automotive mechanics. He has given a series of lectures, espousing his knowledge in the field. These have given Dr. Bawuah an impeccable reputation as the “best automotive mechanic expert” around.

One day, his Nissan Primera developed a fault at the market square; everyone thought this was an easy fix for Dr. Bawuah. The people around got him all the tools required to fix the car. However, he was clueless and didn’t even know “how” to diagnose the problem, needless to say “how to” fix it.

Dr. Bawuah was compelled to send for the local auto mechanic (fitter), who was just a Junior High School leaver. It took the fitter less than 20 minutes to identify the problem and fix it to the amusement of the theory-filled Dr. Bawuah. He then became a laughing stock and started parading himself as an expert in farming. Animguasie akwaaba.

The Nigerians have a saying that “when the wind blows that is when we see fowl nyash”. The wind has blown and revealed Dr. Bawuah’s “nyash” at the market square. Everyone has seen how empty and shallow Dr. Bawuah was, he was an all-talk no-action academic. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is the reincarnate of Dr. Bawuah.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s cover was blown during and after the 2022 microeconomic crises that hit Ghana. Ghanaians were expecting to actualise his economic mastery, which the NPP protagonists touted to weather the storm, but he had no clue on how to steady the tide; up to date, Ghanaians are still facing elevated inflation, subdued growth, and substantial pressure on public finances and debt sustainability challenges, the economy is in tatters.

In terms of practical economics, through which Dr. Bawumia rose to political “stardom”, he is empty, shallow, and an overrated character, a “puff merchant”.

Indeed, there is a difference between theory and practice. Therefore, knowing how to link theory to practice shows that we understand the nexus between what we learn and how that knowledge is applied in the real world.

Dr. Bawumia is nothing but an economics theorist with absolute no inkling on how to link theory to practice. Prior to the 2016 general elections, he together with his team researched all the economic theories for him to make sensational and fanciful speeches and delivered sensational presentations that hypnotised Ghanaians. The general belief was that he was an economic wizard.

The NPP was voted into power largely because of this perception. However, Ghanaians have now realised the difference between knowing “what to do” and knowing “how to do” it.

Like football spectators, we all know what a footballer should do with the ball, but lack the skills and dexterity required to actualise our “what to do” knowledge to “how to do” it. We all know “what to do” to make Ghana better, but very few of us know “how to do” that which will make Ghana better.

In recent times, a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) has become more attractive than PhD to the corporate world. This is because PhD holders usually only know the theory of “what to do” but know little about “how to do” it, while DBA holders know “how to do what to do”.

Similarly, an Executive Master in Business Administration (EMBA) teaches “how to do” things, while a Master in Business Administration (MBA) only teaches you “what to do”.

It is, therefore, unsurprising to see unemployed PhD and MBA holders while almost every DBA and EMBA holder is gainfully employed because the former is theory-oriented while the latter is practically driven. The corporate world is result-oriented and, therefore, employs people who know how to do things. It is no wonder that most PhD holders are confined to the lecture halls, while DBA holders are in the Board rooms of corporate organisations where practicality is the order of the day.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia belongs to the lecture hall, he only knows how to explain economic theories, and make presentations and fancy speeches, but has absolutely no clue on how to link those theories to practices.