Bawumia’s Tent Accommodates All Our People

My vision is to create a tent big enough to accommodate all our people, to tap into the resourcefulness and talents of our people irrespective of our different ethnic, political and religious backgrounds, to channel our energies into building the kind of country that assures a food self-sufficient, safe, prosperous, and dignified future for all Ghanaians, to create sustainable jobs with meaningful pay for all, and for Ghana to participate fully in the fourth industrial revolution using systems and data’’ - Dr Mahamudu Bawumia

On Wednesday, February 7, the Vice-President Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia delivered a major speech to the general voting public since his election as the NPP Presidential Candidate for the December 2024 general elections. He spoke on the theme, Ghana’s Next Chapter: Selfless Leadership and Bold Solutions for the Future. Dr. Bawumia is known for his excellent delivery at public lectures both in opposition and as a Vice President and he did not disappoint Ghanaians on February 7, 2024. He successfully outlined his vision and made a solid case for Ghana’s next chapter and how he would create a tent big enough to accommodate all our people to deliver bold solutions for the future.

His excellency, Dr. Bawumia hit the road running on his promise to create a tent big enough to accommodate all our people to deliver bold solutions for the future. He has created big tent of manifesto committees of political and apolitical experts with rich experience from his party and outside his party, the NPP.

The president of Ghana Hotels Association (GHA), Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyamike Jnr, is one of the apolitical experts who has been invited into the Bawumia tent to add his rich experience to Tourism, Culture and Creative-Arts sub-committee of the 2024 Manifesto Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyamike Jnr explained to the industry players and the general public that he had never been a member of the NPP and is currently not a member, when his appointment was greeted with speculations about his affiliation with ruling NPP.

Dr Ackah-Nyamike said, “Over the years we sit on the fence for governments to come to power and then we play our advocacy role to get our aspirations met. This time we have the opportunity to insert our issues and challenges right into the Manifesto of a major political party, which has a good chance of running the next government. This is certainly a positive effect of this appointment”.

“My appointment to serve on the committee is strictly professional to tap into my experience in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry,” he noted. “I see this as a unique opportunity to feed the Manifesto directly with issues very dear to the heart of the Tourism and Hospitality Industry for redress. Being apolitical, if NDC had approached me with a similar role, I may have seized the opportunity; but the NPP approached me first, which is why you see my name on the list.”

Another appointment to re-enforce his vision is to create a tent big enough to accommodate all our people, to tap into the resourcefulness and talents of our people irrespective of our different ethnic, political and religious backgrounds, to channel our energies into building the kind of country that work for us all Ghanaian is bringing onto the table apolitical sports legend Asamoah Gyan, popularly known by the Ghanaian youth as Baby Jet. The sports legend Asamoah Gyanas will serve as the chairman of the Youth and Sports sub-committee. Similarly, Asamoah Gyan’s appointment has received mixed reaction. Some Ghanaians think the legend is moving into politics to extend his influence beyond sports, whilst others view Gyan’s chairmanship of the Youth and Sports sub-committee as a step in a right direction towards developing the country’s youth and sports sector.

On Wednesday, February 21, legend Gyan gave meaning to participation on Bawumia’s manifesto committee on his X (formerly Twitter) page. He wrote, “I believe the time has come for legends in sports to come together and use their influence, network and resources in attracting investors into our country and make a meaningful impact on our youth in the sports fraternity I.e football, boxing and other athletics”.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s vision of creating a tent big enough to accommodate all our people is in motion already and constitution of his campaign team and manifesto committees is a testament to it. Even in his own party, he has tapped into the resourcefulness and talents of party people irrespective of their different opinions, supporting his opponents during the presidential primaries or ardent critics of the current government, which does not always happen in the NPP and the NDC, the two leading political parties in Ghana. For example, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has appointed economic stalwart and a senior member of NPP, Mr. Kwame Pianim, who has criticized the current NPP government on many occasions as an advisor to the economy sub-committee of the NPP’s 2024 manifesto drafting committee. Likewise, Hon. Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, who was a member of the Alan Kyeremanteng’s campaign team and campaigned fiercely against Bawumia in the presidential primaries has also been appointed as Trade and Industry committee member.

Bawumia believe in accommodating all party members in his tent to channel the party’s energies into building the kind of country that assures a food self-sufficient, safe, prosperous, and dignified future for all Ghanaians, to create sustainable jobs with meaningful pay for all, and for Ghana to participate fully in the fourth industrial revolution using systems and data.

Eben Johnson - Finland
(Letters Without Signature)