Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, vice president, has praised the Group of Earth Observations (GEO) for its contributions in providing crucial data that continues to guide policy development, programme design, and implementation in Ghana.
Speaking on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 in Accra at the 18th Plenary of the Group of Earth Observations (GEO) Week According to Dr. Bawumia, such information had grown more crucial for decision-making, and the government’s targeted programmes, including campaigns to reduce poverty and combat illegal mining, were partly based on it. “In Ghana we are applying the products of the Digital Earth Africa programme to monitor landscape changes because of illegal mining activities. Developing an interoperable data ecosystem that combines Earth observations data with other data, including socioeconomic data, citizen data, and statistical data, among others would be more meaningful and impactful.
“Our development priorities are focused on economic transformation through value-addition to create jobs, reduce poverty, and enhance social inclusion while sustaining the integrity of our environment. Our medium and long-term development plans are underpinned by the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ vision to change the mindsets of our citizens towards an increased reliance on internal resources plus private sector investment to lead economic transformation.
“The application of digital technologies is fundamental to the achievement of the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda, with emphasis on the maximisation of resources, investments in agriculture, improved health, and industrialisation, enhancing critical skills and education and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.” Dr. Bawumia revealed that the government is putting the finishing touches on a new Digital Economy Policy and a Digital Transformation Blueprint to establish Ghana as the regional leader in ICT innovation.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has urged Ghanaians to reflect on the great achievements of the past six years and have faith in the government to continue to provide for Ghanaians in these trying times in the midst of the economic crisis. To demonstrate the government’s capacity to address the current issues, the Vice President listed several interventions that had been implemented in the previous six years.
Dr. Bawumia said the government is prepared to do more to help ease the plight of the typical Ghanaian during his speech at the 60th Hogbetsotso Festival of the Anlos in Anloga. “It is important to note that in the midst of all of this turmoil, we should put things in perspective,” he said. “The government of Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo has over the last six years taken many steps to reposition and transform the economy.” “So whilst we have hardships today which we are working very hard to alleviate… let us not forget what we have been able to do in the last six years.”
As an example, Dr. Bawumia said they had created more jobs “than any other government in the fourth republic.” “Let me recall that we have constructed more roads than any other government in the fourth republic,” he added.
The former president John Dramani Mahama has been urged by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to stop lying to Ghanaians about his record while in office because “the facts show otherwise.” The General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, responded to Mahama’s recent claim that President Nana Akufo-Addo is hiding behind Covid-19 to overspend by saying that the 2020 candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is out of touch with post-Covid-19 governance.
John Dramani Mahama
“Much as John Mahama seeks re-election on a campaign platform of ‘going back’ to the IMF, he attempts to confuse history by painting a rosy picture of his disastrous management of the Ghanaian economy between 2012 and 2016. Indeed, he put the economy in free fall after extremely reckless expenditure in excess of some GHS12 billion in pursuit of election victory in 2012. “His economy, under Seth Terkper, never recovered, leading to unheard of taxation measures on condoms and cutlasses,” Boadu said. He further stated that, “This period of economic mismanagement was characterised by rising inflation and declining growth, with growth sharply declining from 14% in 2011 to 3.9% in 2016. John Mahama claimed that this rapid decline occurred during typical “bust and boom” periods. Falling commodity prices, which, in accordance with former President Mahama’s boom and bust analysis, are typical for every administration, were the worst economic crisis he ever experienced. However, he was unable to maintain the economy’s stability.
“He just does not get it,” Boadu said on Covid-19. President Akufo-Addo succinctly stated for the world to take note of and follow that the foundation of all economic modelling worldwide is Covid-19 and the ability to preserve lives and then livelihoods. “Moreover, the Akufo-Addo administration has faced the worst ever international crisis in Covid-19, a scourge that has depreciated the worldwide economy and driven debt up generally. John Mahama’s lack of understanding of the Covid-19 economy is positively dangerous for Ghana because it badly skews his feeble attempts at analysis of our current economic situation. The IMF, to which he trumpets we should go to, has certified our economy as one of the fastest growing in terms of Covid-19 economic rebound.
“Mahama put together a Covid-19 advisory team. Covid-19 is not over yet. Where is the advisory team announced to applause and pageantry? Nowhere to be found. For the information of former President Mahama, Covid-19 is not only a matter of health. It has fundamentally become an economic imperative.” Boadu added that Mahama would have made a mistake if he had been in office when Covid occurred.
What would Mahama have done differently in that situation? What are his options, and where are they? Alternative financial and management strategies for Covid-19? He lacks a strategy because he is unaware of and unwilling to acknowledge that Covid-19 has a significant impact on the economy. What strategy did the former president Mahama employ to obtain vaccines? What is his replacement for maintaining school opening hours, which he and his party fiercely criticised just over a year ago? What are the Mahama alternatives to the policies in the cocoa industry that have led to a record-breaking output of cocoa beans? “Indeed, what is John Mahama’s alternative to anything, apart from the IMF? If you are the alternative, then spell out your alternatives to the Ghanaian people now. He is asking for a dialogue on the economy. There are many fora available for such a dialogue but he needs to put forward his plan.
Anybody can and has the right to criticise. But we expect a man who has been Vice President, head of the NDC’s economic management team and subsequently President and insistently bidding to become President again, to offer tangible alternatives, capable of feasibility testing, instead of just criticising. What is your plan? What is your vision for growing Ghana?” Furthermore, he said Mahama “actively oversaw the worst crisis ever to hit our financial sector, negligence that has cost over GHS21 billions of public resources to correct. Meanwhile, he turned judgement debt payments into a cottage industry.”
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, vice president, has received an honorary membership from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Policy Network (APN). Executives from the network also extended an invitation to Dr. Bawumia to attend the network’s upcoming flagship event, the Africa Globalized Investment Summit in Seychelles in 2023, during a courtesy call on the Vice-President at the Jubilee House. This APN As the largest and most influential international non-governmental organisation (NGO) with a primary focus on AfCFTA implementation, the APN was founded in 2019. The executive director of the APN Women of Africa Network, Audrey Biney, the executive counsel of Women of Africa, Dr. Joe Tackie, the board chairman of the APN, and Joyce Williams, the leader of the USA delegation, were all part of the delegation. Others included Kwasi Okyere-Boateng, Special Advisor to the APN Executive Director; Hannah Hayford Affriyie, Head of Administration; Prof. Faisal Ellis, President and Co-Founder of the African Professionals Network; Jenny Sutmoller, Director of Strategic Partnerships at the University of Cincinnati; Raj Mehta, Vice-Provost for International Affairs; Julia Lartey of Jex Travel and Tours Ltd, and member of APN, Gertrude Ankah Nyavi.
Gratitude The Vice-President was thanked for his welcome and on-going support of the AfCFTA by the Board Chair of the APN. He claimed that the APN had invested a lot of time in helping the government implement the AfCFTA. The AfCFTA, which has its headquarters in Ghana, aims to increase trade within Africa and improve the continent’s position in international markets. Dr. Tackie continued by saying that the APN was increasing understanding of the initiatives among stakeholders. He emphasised that it was doing this through its programmes, which included those aimed at the youth, women, manufacturing, and technology, among other groups. He clarified that the goal of the Africa Globalized Investment Summit was to entice investors from outside of Africa to take advantage of opportunities presented by the free trade zone. For his part, APN’s Executive Director, Mr. Louis Afful, stated that APN is currently investigating the activities of the manufacturing sector in an effort to create more synergy between trade within the African Continental Free Trade Area and manufacturing in Ghana.
He added that APN has started talks with foreign investors about the creation of a “Investment Hope City” hub to encourage the expansion of entrepreneurship on the African continent. According to him, the investment hub will serve as a centre of excellence for matters relating to the AfCFTA and companies operating on the continent. “The focus is to have an APN tower that will be a centre of excellence,” he said. Additionally, we desire a tourism eco system.
Veep commends APN
Dr. Bawumia stated that the AfCFTA could have a significant impact on Africa’s economy and could be a game-changer for the continent’s economic transformation. He applauded the APN for trying to aid in the implementation of the policy. Dr. Bawumia claimed that the current administration had achieved more technological advancement successes than any other Ghanaian administration. He listed some of the accomplishments as the interoperability of mobile money, digitalization of the GhanaPost address system, delivery of public services through the Ghana Card, integration of national databases, and the use of drones for medical delivery. Dr. Bawumia added that since 2017, the government has accelerated the delivery of public services through the use of digital technology, which has also helped to lower corruption in those services. Investment, economy Mrs. Williams urged the creation of an enabling environment so that Ghanaians living abroad could make investments in the nation.
She lamented the challenges and cumbersome procedures she had to deal with when attempting to invest in the Ghanaian economy. However, Dr. Bawumia reaffirmed the government’s efforts to strengthen the economy for the benefit of the business sector and the entire nation. He emphasised that the government had made a decision to create a comprehensive and sustainable approach for a long-term solution to the challenges facing the economy.
Former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, has charged former President John Mahama with spreading false information about his emoluments. He added that according to the records, the state pays for a former president to take two holidays each year when he travels for official business abroad. I’m in charge of paying my own water and electricity bills, says Mahama Mahama was very clear in a recent interview with TV3 about the specific costs and expenses he has personally borne since leaving office.
Koko Anyidoho, Former dep. GS of the NDC
The Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP, Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye DC, claimed that an ex gratia payment of GH14 million was made into his ADB account in the year 2013; however, Mahama made ten points stating that this claim is an “absolute lie.” He stated that the Controller and Accountant General only paid him his salary arrears, totaling GHC 230,000, in 2013. He also mentioned that the point raised by the ruling NPP’s Bono Regional Chairman that he has received privileges and perks totaling GH15 million since leaving office in 2017 is “absolutely false.” And that as a former President, he only receives a monthly pension.
Mahama stated that he pays his electricity and water bills for his household and office, that he lives in his accommodation and that the State does not pay him for accommodation, and that the State has not given him an office. And he pays for office space in Accra’s East Cantonments. He went on to say that he pays for his fuel, his domestic staff, his medical bills, and his air tickets as well as his assistants whenever he travels. However, Koku Anyidoho disagreed, claiming that Mahama is spreading lies by claiming that he pays for his own services despite being entitled to the emoluments.
Anyidoho stated in a series of tweets, “John Dramani Mahama is whining and telling lies about his emoluments.” According to documents, the state pays when an ex-President travels abroad on official business; he is also entitled to two vacation days per year. So, if you go on your own to have fun, why should the government pay? “As John Dramani Mahama continues to complain about his emoluments, I ask: What did you do for the late President Atta-Mills, John Dramani Mahama?” The man who created you as a running mate and vice president in order for you to become President.”
The General Jurisdiction High Court (12) in Accra has ordered Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, to pay GH¢500,000 in damages to Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Energy. This follows the court’s decision in favor of the minister in a defamation case he brought in 2019 against Sammy Gyamfi, which was heard by Justice Charles Gyamfi Danquah. When he was the minister of education, Dr. Opoku Prempah filed a lawsuit against the NDC communicator for claiming that Seidu Mba, one of the suspects detained in connection with the kidnapping of two Canadian girls in Kumasi, was his (Dr. Prempah’s) errand boy. Justice Charles Gyamfi Danquah ruled during the hearing on Thursday (October 13, 2022) that Sammy Gyamfi had defamed Dr. Opoku Prempeh with his utterances. Sammy Gyamfi was also fined GH¢500,000, and the judge also ordered him to apologize and recant his false remark within seven days of the ruling with the same prominence as the initial assertion. “A declaration that the words complained of and published by the defendant and contained in paragraph 14 herein are defamatory of the Plaintiff’s character.
“An order of the honorable court directed at the defendant to publish an unqualified retraction and an apology with the same prominence of the defamatory words received within seven days after the judgment.
“An order of the honorable court for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, his agents, assigns, servants and any person claiming authority from the defendant from further making/or publishing any defamatory words against the Plaintiff.
“The sum of One million Ghana Cedis (GHS1, 000,000) in damages for the defamation,” a declaration statement by the energy minister read.
The government is spending $740 million on the “water for all” program, which provides access to potable water. Speaking during the opening of a town water project in Tuna, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia noted that the government’s efforts to provide both rural and urban residents with portable drinking water had been successful in reducing the prevalence of cholera and other diseases linked to poor sanitation.
H.E Dr. Bawumia
“We all know that under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, Goal number 6 is a goal for us to attain clean water sanitation for all. In this regard, the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has had a policy of water for all.
“This water for all policy has resulted in an investment program of about 740 million dollars in terms of investment in water systems in various towns and communities,” he said.
The Vice President stated that due to the significant investments made to supply clean drinking water and increase total access to water to 87%, 96% for urban access, and 74% for rural access, Ghana has not recorded a single incidence of cholera during the last five years. “If you will all avert your mind, Ghana has not had a single case of cholera in the last five years. Not one single case of cholera,” he added.
DNTN, Ukraine – Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a North Tongu member of parliament, is assuming a demeaning reputation for fabricating information in order to grant himself some influence over Ghanaian students studying abroad. However, he was exposed on two crucial instances for flat-out lying to damage the reputation of the NPP administration, which is in power, or to make the flight of Ghanaian students abroad appear uncaring or careless. The newest falsehood from Ablakwa is his “discovery” that Russian military attacked a Ukrainian train carrying Ghanaian students. First, a quick Google search found up no evidence of a Russian force strike on a train in Ukraine, which would have been a significant change from Russia’s claim that it had done so. Also, a follow-up investigation by DNT from our Ukrainian correspondents similarly turned up nothing. You might remember that Ablakwa pretended to hold a news conference at the start of the coronavirus outbreak to declare that Ghanaian students were passing away from the virus in China and that the NPP government was being insensitive by leaving them there. At the time, Ghana’s Embassy in Beijing did an exceptional job of taking care of the students, according to a thorough report that DNT Correspondent Michael Amponsah put in. The account was supported by video footage that showed Ghanaian students relaxingly displaying their well-being. These two events highlight the desperation of people like Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who are always looking for an excuse to criticize the administration. On a related issue, a post has been circulating on social media encouraging Ghanaian students studying in Ukraine to seek assistance from a supposed Dr. Albert Kitcher at a bogus location. Dr. Albert Kitcher has publicly refuted the assertion and requested that no one get in touch with him since he has no connection to any assistance for Ghanaian students.
There is no qualm that the body politics in Ghana has seen many names, however, the name Dr Mahamudu Bawumia with no doubts epitomizes what some prominent leaders have been saying, VISIONARY and HARD WORK.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as loved by many for his humility, hard work and far-sighted qualities over the years has reverberated yet again during his operational visit to the North.
The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in recent times has been on a tour in the Northern part of Ghana for a national assignment which has seen him inspect the progress of Agenda 111, a project which is considered arguably the largest healthcare investment in Ghana. The tour which has however turned out to be somewhat full of appraisals makes it even more exhilarating and successful already.
Dr. Bawumia
The Bunkpurugu Naba on welcoming Dr Bawumia, who is on a working visit to the north, to his Palace on Tuesday praised him for his “indefatigable leadership” and the recognition he has given to the people of Bunkpurugu and the north in general, saying that God will reward his efforts.
The Paramount Chief of Bunkpurugu Traditional Area Naba Alhaji Abuba Nasinmong eulogizing Dr Bawumia’s hard work without mincing words said, “you are a true statesman and an astute modern politician who has efficiently aided the first gentleman of the Ghanaian State, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to maintain law and order, peace and tranquility and implementation of people-centred policies that have touched the life of every Ghanaian, especially in the Bunkpurugu – Nakpanduri District such as Free SHS policy, Planting for Food and Jobs, an extension of electricity, an improvement on our roads, etc.”
Just as Jesus Christ was never honoured by his own despite being miraculous, the lame propaganda which has turned into hatred for Dr Bawumia by some Ghanaians in recent times to score cheap political points is forlorn and nothing to write home about.
“Permit me to wholeheartedly express the following: your opponents would always find negative things to say about you, but continue with your good works and Almighty God will grant you victory.
The Bunkpurugu Naba has however added his voice to this calling out on Dr Bawumia to keep his head high and continue to work hard and be not discouraged by critics.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye, the presidency’s director of local government, decentralization, and rural development, has delivered some messages to Sammy Gyamfi, the NDC’s national communications officer. Sammy Gyamfi and Dennis Miracles Aboagye appeared on Saturday’s broadcast of TV3’s The Key Points. The two guests had a fantastic conversation on different topical national concerns, as well as the achievements of both the NPP and the NDC. During the conversation, Sammy Gyamfi stated unequivocally that the NPP administration has failed to establish a single school since taking power in 2017.
Sammy Gyamfi, National Communications Officer- NDC
Sammy Gyamfi was informed by Dennis Miracles Aboagye after he made this claim that he has been spreading this untruth for the past five years. He claims that Sammy Gyamfi’s job is spreading untruths about the NPP, which is currently in power. Sammy Gyamfi, in his opinion, has been defaming the NPP for the past five years, according to him. Dennis Miracles also expressed his dissatisfaction with his own NPP government for neglecting to refute Sammy Gyamfi’s fabrications regarding the NPP over the previous five years. Sammy Gyamfi received a clear message from him telling him to stop lying against the NPP since it has constructed more school facilities than the NDC regime.
“I have given you a list of secondary schools that have been built by this government from scratch to correct that falsehood and consistent lies by the NDC. For some strange reasons, he has been saying these lies for five years and for some reasons, my party and my people have failed to call him out” he said.
