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Former Vice President and 2024 Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has launched a strong attack on President John Dramani Mahama, accusing him of misleading Ghanaians about the true impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.
According to Dr Bawumia, President Mahama was fully aware of the devastating toll the pandemic had on Ghana but chose to remain silent and instead blamed the previous administration for economic mismanagement in order to secure victory in the 2024 general election.
His comments followed President Mahama’s admission during a United Nations General Assembly side event, the Accra Reset, where he acknowledged that the pandemic “erased two decades of poverty reduction in less than two years.”
Speaking during engagements with current and former constituency executives and ex-government officials in the Eastern Region, Dr Bawumia criticised the President’s earlier stance.
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He stated:
The Ukraine War and COVID led to the increase in price of goods and services and you will recall that we attributed the situation to these two issues. But, President Mahama accused the NPP of economic mismanagement and undermined the impact of COVID.
Dr Bawumia added:
But, the President when speaking at an event in New York admitted that poverty reduction efforts were derailed by COVID. So it means he knew the truth but kept quiet ahead of the elections. We knew the problem, so Ghanaians must bring back Dr Bawumia and the NPP in 2028 to restore the economy because we got it right.
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The COVID-19 pandemic had profound impacts across Africa, overwhelming health systems, disrupting supply chains, reducing tourism and remittances, and pushing millions into poverty. The World Bank estimates it caused the continent’s first recession in 25 years.