Economic crisis: Stop blaming Bawumia, members of the EMT were not appointed by him

Governance expert and a senior research fellow at the Kumasi Technical University (KTU), Dr. Smart Sarpong has defended Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia amidst the worsening economic crisis.

The expert indicated that the Vice President is blameless because he is leading a team who were imposed on him.

According to Dr. Sarpong, all the members of the Economic Management Team were appointed by President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo not him (Bawumia).

“People are saying all sorts of things against Dr. Bawumia but let me put it on record that the team [Economic Management Team] headed by the Vice President, had the members selected and constituted by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and given to him [Dr. Bawumia] to work with,” he said on Kumasi-based Fox FM’s Morning Drive.

He added, “The Finance Minister was appointed by Nana Akufo-Addo, and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana is also appointed by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. All the Ministers constituting EMT were somebody’s selection and given to Dr. Bawumia to work with them.”

According to Dr. Sarpong, the Vice President could have taken most of the blame if the President had heeded the recent calls and reshuffled the non-performing members of the EMT.

“He didn’t make the selection. The selection was made by someone and that person who is the President is not ready to change the people so we can’t blame Dr. Bawumia,” Dr. Sarpong pointed out.

Some persons, including Asempa FM's Omanhene Kwabena Asante, have speculated that the Vice President has been sidelined on the EMT, depicting that his decisions are always rejected by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and others.

Economic crisis: Stop blaming Bawumia, members of the EMT were not appointed by him — Governance expert