Let's make Ghana our focus - Bawumia challenges politicians

The Vice Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Mahamudu Bawumia, Wednesday challenged politicians, journalists and Ghanaians in general to ensure that Ghana and the collective wellbeing of the Ghanaian people remain the ultimate focus of all political discussions.

“I think of my politics in the context of building national consensus around issues and thinking of Ghana as the focus of whatever we do,” he stated.

Consequently, Dr Bawumia appealed to politicians to move away from the politics of insults and character assassination and focus on issue-based campaign which promotes national cohesion and development.

According to him, politics is about developing programmes and policies to improve the socio- economic circumstances of the people, adding: “And that is why we need to debate policies and issues instead of attacking personalities and engaging in politics of insult.”

He noted that insults and character assassination only create a tensed atmosphere that promotes disunity and confusion which could lead the nation into chaos.

Speaking to selected journalists at a Press Soiree at his Kanda Residence, Dr Bawumia added: “I believe that we have a duty to Ghana as politicians; the media also has a duty to Ghana and if we all respect the roles that we ought to play, we would really enhance the collective well being of the nation.”

He reminded the media, as the fourth estate of the realm, of their duty to help promote the cause of democratic governance, urging them to offer their platforms for debate of issues and not character assassination and insults.   

“We have a duty to Ghanaians as politicians and journalists to seek ways to enhance their well being and in doing so I believe in politics of building national consensus out of which we can generate the ideas needed to promote our collective national agenda,” he noted.

The respected economist and politician maintained that for him it was necessary for all to keep a focus on Ghana's path to progress, adding, “we should see ourselves as being in competition with other countries and less so with each other.”

  He acknowledged the competitive nature of the Ghanaian political landscape but admonished all players to do away with the negatives that mar the landscape.

“The political environment is very competitive, I agree, but let's do it without insults and character assassinations. It is needless. If we focus on issues, we would go very far“, he said.

According to the technocrat politician, the Press Soiree was organized to afford him an opportunity to interact directly with the media since he had not had such an opportunity since his appointment to partner Nana Akufo-Addo.

The former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana and Country Representative of the African Development Bank in Zimbabwe was named as Running Mate to Nana Akufo-Addo for the second time to help secure the NPP the reins of government and to help lead the efforts at transforming Ghana's economy.

Dr Bawumia, who has spent the last few weeks touring parts of the Northern Region and meeting various groups, would be delivering this year's Ferdinand Ayim Memorial Lectures on May 2, on the topic, 'The State of our Economy'.