New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirant Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has sought to clarify comments he made about former vice-president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s recent apology to party delegates, stressing that his intention was not to blame Bawumia for Ghana’s economic challenges.
Speaking on AsaasePa FM’s Atumpan programme on Wednesday, Adutwum said he would have approached the issue differently, focusing on highlighting achievements rather than assigning blame.
“If I were in his position, I would have handled it differently, especially when it comes to education,” he said. “I wouldn’t say he destroyed the economy. Those are comments from people with ill intent.”
Clarity
Adutwum noted that Bawumia, who faced criticism over Ghana’s current economic difficulties, was never finance minister and therefore should not be solely held responsible.
“It’s unfair to link all economic matters to him. What I meant was that if there were lapses during our tenure, we should acknowledge and address them specifically. We must not generalise, or our opponents will weaponise those statements against us,” he explained.
Records
The former Education Minister added that the NPP had made significant strides in the education sector during its tenure but admitted that the party had failed to communicate these achievements effectively to voters.
“For instance, Ghana placed second in Africa in education during our time…Our shortfall was not publicising these successes enough,” the Bosomtwe MP said.
His comments come amid ongoing debate within the NPP over how internal criticism could affect the party’s image ahead of future elections.
