‘Be bold to take credit for Akufo-Addo’s mess as well’ – Mahama tells Bawumia

The Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has stated that he is shocked the Vice President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, is distancing himself from the track record of President Akufo-Addo.

According to Mahama, during his tenure as Vice President under the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, he did not shy away from Mills’ legacy after his passing but rather embraced and continued his policies.

In contrast, Mahama claims that Dr. Bawumia is now avoiding accountability for the Akufo-Addo administration’s record.

According to Mahama, when things go well, Bawumia takes credit and claims to have initiated those successes, but when challenges arise, he distances himself from them.

Mahama emphasized that this is not how collective responsibility works.

Speaking to the chiefs of Nakpanduri in the North East Region, Mahama explained that if someone is part of the government, they are part of the decision-making process, and Dr. Bawumia, being the second most powerful person in the country, should not evade responsibility for the administration’s track record.

He urged Dr. Bawumia, who attends Cabinet meetings, to accept the record of the government and be prepared to defend it.

“When Prof Mills died, I became President and I had to run for an election, I did not run away from Prof Mills’ record, I accepted everything that Prof Mills did and I said I was going to continue with the work Prof Mills was doing; today we have a strange where our brother [Bawumia] is running away from his President’s record.

“If things had gone well for the President, he accepts them and claims them and says he initiated them but the things that have gone bad, he says oh, I don’t know anything about them. That is not the way to take collective responsibility because if you are part of the government, you’re part of the decision-making making especially if you are the Number 2 in government because you act as President.

So anything that happens in that government, you’re part of the decision-making that made whatever happened happen, so you cannot run away from your own record. You must accept that record and work to defend it…,” he said.

Mahama further stated that everyone believes and knows that the NDC will return to power, as various opinion polls, including those from businesses, are showing.

He added that the country must send a signal to the business and international community that Ghana is open for business again.