We had an economic guru, why are we here? - Professor Opoku Agyemang

The running mate for the opposition National Democratic Congress, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has taken a swipe at Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for his sudden focus on digitalisation after positioning himself as an economic guru.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Daniel Oduro on GhanaWeb TV’s Election Desk, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang called for a collective approach to solving the problems the country faces, rather than relying on a single individual.

“We had an economic guru, an economic whiz kid. Why are we here? We don't all have to be economists, but we live in the economy… It is not next year only that it's going to be tough. It's tough right now and the one in charge is saying he is now doing digital.

“That's why I'm saying, let's link minds. Don't come saying, ‘I'm the one ordained to solve all the problems.’ You are not,” she said.

Professor Opoku Agyemang pointed out that expertise in various fields can contribute to economic solutions and criticised the current leadership for positioning themselves as the sole problem-solvers.

“We are not saying you don't know anything. You know something others know something else. Link with them. Don't put yourself on this pedestal as if you’re the only one who can do it,” she added.

Reflecting on Ghana's past, she reminisced about a time when the country was debt-free and self-sufficient, under the leadership of a military figure rather than an economist or lawyer and what truly is required for effective governance.

“The only time we've been truly independent- we didn't owe anybody we were not paying any debts, we had enough food- it was a military man who was in charge. Was he a lawyer or an economist? So what does it take?” she said.

Her comments come as Ghana is gearing up for the 2024 general elections on December 7.

Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, alongside John Dramani Mahama, will be representing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) while Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, aka NAPO, will be representing the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Watch the full interview here

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