Attempts by Kwabena Agyepong to paint as Vice-President an outsider in the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has elicited a push back from the camp of the number two man.
The ex-Presidential Press Secretary had sought to rubbish Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s membership and contribution to the NPP, saying when he first saw the Vice-President, he used to carry the books of the governor of the BoG, Dr Paul Aquah, following him to the Castle, the seat of Government during the John Agyekum Kufuor administration.
Mr Agyepong, who is also contesting for the NPP flagbearer slot, also sought to suggest that Dr Bawumia holds allegiance to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) because he was employed during the Jerry John Rawlings administration, when Dr Kwabena Duffour, served as governor of BoG, a fact he suggested the Vice-President had also hidden.
But Dr Bawumia’s boys, have had a field’s day tackling Mr Agyapong, saying he had lied because the vice-president has never hidden his connection to Dr Duffour.
Agyapong, who was said to be reacting to claims that Bawumia as a young banker was appointed to BoG by President John Agyekum Kufuor, said that was not the case.
He recounted how in 2001, as a presidential spokesperson of then president Kufuor, he had encountered Bawumia as a PA to then BoG Governor, Paul Acquah.
“It is also not true that president Kufuor was the one that brought him into the Bank of Ghana. We (NPP government) came into office in 2001, at the time Dr. Duffuor was the governor of the Central Bank, the president allowed him to complete his tenure.
“It was Duffuor that brought Bawumia to the bank, it was after Duffuor that Paul Acquah was brought from the IMF. At the time Bawumia was at the Research Department so Bawumia became like a PA to him.
“He used to carry Acquah’s books when they come for meetings at the Castle and I sat in those meetings… does it mean working in a bank makes you a party person? He was hired during the NDC era, does that make him an NDC person?” he stressed.
Mr Agyepong, who is like Bawumia, a flagbearer hopeful for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) clarified further that, “In 2006 when president wanted to appoint a deputy governor, he gave it to him.”
He was speaking in an interview with Kofi TV in a wide-ranging interview on his chances in the upcoming NPP super delegates conference and his overall dream for the country.
Dr Bawumia’s boys provided the acknowledgment section of a book the Vice-President authored in 2010 on Monetary Policy in Africa, in which he mentioned Dr Duffour as evidence of Mr Agyepong’s untruthfulness.
In the section, Dr Bawumia among other things wrote “Professionally I have benefited a lot from too many people to mention, but I would like to acknowledge with thanks the support and kindness of Dr Kwabena Duffour, who as Governor, gave me the opportunity to work at the Bank of Ghana. I have also benefited immensely from working closely with Governor Dr Paul Acquah. Dr Acquah is Professional’s professional. ….”
Among others, an aide to the Vice-President, Krobea Kwabena Asante, has also been on Facebook taking on Mr Agyapong.
Mr Asante attacked the acknowledgement section of Dr Bawumia’s book and wrote “Attached is Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s acknowledgements in one of his books he wrote some years ago. In the exhibit he said Dr Duffour gave him the opportunity to work at the Bank of Ghana and also thanked Dr Acquah for pushing him when he took over and equally thanked President Kufuor for making him Deputy Governor.
So why will Wofa Kwabena Agyepong, fabricate a misleading information and attack Dr Bawumia based on that?
Wofa Kwabena should come again.
Dr Bawumia’s profile at BoG is a public info which can’t be twisted by Dr or anyone.
Dr Bawumia has never said anywhere that President Kufuor took him to BoG.
Facts are sacred”.
Meanwhile, while calling for a clean and decent campaign in the NPP’s presidential elections, Dr Bawumia, also described the contest as a “family contest.”
According to him, all the other nine aspirants are from the same ancestral root, which is the UP tradition.
As a result, the Vice President has instructed his followers to refrain from making verbal attacks, either directly or indirectly, on other aspirants seeking to lead the party as flagbearers to the next general elections.
Dr Bawumia, who is in the race with ten other contestants, pointed out the difficult task ahead of the party going forward to the 2024 polls, hence the need to run a clean campaign.
“As a family, all factions must recognize that a united front is necessary to confront the NDC,” Dr Bawumia stated in Kumasi during a campaign tour to party delegates.
“I have instructed all my supporters and spokespersons that we must conduct a clean campaign, avoiding any form of insults.”
Dr Bawumia also emphasized that unity is key, and that once the contest concludes, they will come together as a cohesive force to ensure that the NDC does not regain power.
The NPP is scheduled to elect its flagbearer for the 2024 elections on November 4. Ten flagbearer hopefuls have been cleared to participate in the upcoming elections.
Ahead of the November 4 polls, the party has scheduled to hold a special delegates conference on August 26 to reduce to five the number of aspirants seeking to lead the party into the 2024 elections.
Attached below is the acknowledgment section of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s book
