As keen observers try to wrap their heads around the steady erosion of Dr. Bawumia’s political swag over the past 7 years he has been in office, one cannot but dig deeper in search of a relevant explanation. History, they say, is for our learning. As such, it is instructive to revisit Dr. Bawumia’s father’s political trajectory from the 1950s. A cursory look at his independent representation at the general assembly, through his co-founding and membership of the NPP circa 1954~57, to his leadership of the Council of State under J.J. Rawlings will suffice. By the way, no mischief intended whatsoever. This is just posterity feeding on hindsight to draw a mirror line. Information as related to in this article is already in the public domain as sourced from Alhaji Mumuni’s memoirs (A life in the Political History of Ghana…) and Wikipedia page.
Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia as we fondly called him, entered parliament in 1951 as an independent representative of the Northern Territories Council. He then co-founded the NPP (Northern People’s Party) in ’54 and sat in Parliament on the ticket of the NPP thereafter. After the mutual dissolution of the NPP and merger with the UP in 1957, he jettisoned his own creation in the UP, and joined Nkrumah’s CPP government where he served in several high-profile ministerial positions. This switch immensely startled his Northern kinsmen. Later when Nkrumah’s CPP government ran into problems, he switched back and joined the NLM/UP party of A A Afrifa, E Akufo-Addo & K A Busia’s government. From there, he again found an alliance in Acheampong’s government. Fast forward and he was in Limman’s government as well. After Limann was ousted by the PNDC, he joined the PNDC circa 1988 and later the NDC until the NDC left office in Jan. 2001.
Without the advantage of a second thought’s nudge, one would volunteer praise and admiration for his dynamism and political dexterity. A natural consequence for the feat, and rightly deserving. However, it is also compelling that meaningful politics must be driven by a belief in an abiding political ideology. Many of his political alliances were ideologically conflicting, i.e. NPP-CPP-NLM/UP-PNC-PNDC/NDC. These opportunity-driven drifts and skips are not particularly admired traits in politics. Many of his compatriots stayed true to their ideologies and chided political opportunism. Such political acrobatics and tumbling often reveal no loyalty, and obviously, no belief in any political ideology. You will find them everywhere, and yet they belong nowhere. Clearly, he ran a worldview driven by the pursuit of opportunity irrespective of where it came from or the surrounding optics.
From his changing stance on the economy, a needless anchor on digitalization, to his unwarranted ethnocentric and religious tolerance antics, such shifty drifty persona is what we see in Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia today. It should now be clearer why Dr. Bawumia can afford to be a Muslim by day and a Christian by night when convenient. Tolerance does not require anyone to “become”. Tolerance is being what you are while appreciating diversities.
From taking all the accolades in 2017/18 to denying responsibility for a severely wobbly economy in 2023. From denigrating the Office of the Vice President to a mere driver’s mate position to championing digital transformation and “directing” the Finance Minister to release Nurses allowance worth GHS 177 million. Switching positions for advantage has become a hallmark of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. How familiar! The NDC should not be surprised if Dr. Bawumia wakes up tomorrow and claims membership of the NDC by touting his father’s role in Rawlings’ government.
Dr. Bawumia beamed and flourished in the heydays of the exchange rate will expose the weakness of economic fundamentals vibe. Today, Dr. Bawumia says to draw the same conclusion now is a warped logic. Another convenient switch. How warped is his own logic?
Then there is also the mischievous use of percentages when discussing borrowing levels and the exchange rate performance of his government. Our debt stock moved from approx. 10 billion in 2009 to approx. 120 billion in 2016 representing about 1100% growth of nearly 110 billion in real monetary terms. Then from 120 billion in 2017 to approx. 660 billion in 2023 also representing about 500% growth of nearly 540 billion in real monetary terms. Dr Bawumia again with his cohort of “elites” chose to employ the lower percentage (500%) to mean they therefore borrowed less than the previous government. How convenient! It is instructive to note that nobody services debt obligation in percentages. A debt burden of 540 billion over a lesser period (7.5 years) is definitely heftier than 110 billion. Our “elites” employ the same warped analyses when discussing exchange rate and price levels. Such intellectual dishonesty! Someone, please help us tell these bunch of voodoo economists that our lives are impacted by real figures, not percentages. Those percentages are not units of any currency in which debt can be expressed and paid.
Apart from the pursuit of leadership of convenience, it is inconceivable how Dr. Bawumia will appear to use this warped analysis to convince economics students at Buckingham, Oxford, Saskatchewan and Simon Frazer Universities that Ghana’s debt management was worse under the previous government. It appears blending politics with the science of economics hasn’t turned out well for our dear friend. Like biblical Lot, Dr. Bawumia pitched his tent near Sodom & Gomorrah and now finds himself in Sodom & Gomorrah. After nearly eight (8) years of living the “Akyem Mafia” dream – hegemony at all cost, it appears the incongruence of the mechanics of economics and the intent and purposes of his propellers is eventually turning him into a pillar of salt. Like biblical Ephraim, Dr. Bawumia is a cake not turned.
Finally, when lies and insults failed to provide the desired anchor, Dr. Bawumia now sends a desperate plea via a raven “…you are my senior brother and have been president before. Kindly be patient and wait for me (the younger) to become president for the next 8 years”. He did not even have the honour to add “…and then you can come back after my 8 years”. Did he not know the other was his senior brother when he insulted him publicly among his kinsmen? In any case, the younger vs. the older, who should be admonished to be patient?
Where did our dearly beloved economist miss it all? Oh, how are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished? It is said that he whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad. Our husband indeed has gone mad again – Ola Rotimi.
ZEKPAH, DAVID.
The Executive Director,
The 1957 Group
Read Also >>>>> Bawumia’s Presidential Bid: A Vision Swamped in Integrity Crisis & Naïve Meritocracy – David Zekpah
