The vice president and leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has provided justifications for his incapacity to deal with unmet commitments at this time.
Dr. Bawumia has been under fire from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, for not making sure that the administration he is a part of keeps its campaign pledges to Ghanaians, even if he plans to do so once elected.
During his media encounter, Dr. Bawumia responded to a question concerning the reason for the hold-up in enacting important tax changes, including as import taxes, tax amnesty, and flat rate tax, by indicating that his position as Vice President has some constraints and that he is not in complete charge of government.
Dr. Bawumia noted that he must wait to carry out all of his plans as president since his current role as vice president does not give him the necessary administrative authority.
He used the example of former President John Mahama, who was unable to fulfill all of his goals while in office even though he had complete presidential powers, to back up this point.
Dr. Bawumia emphasized the significance of a manifesto in showcasing novel concepts and molding the future of administration, reaffirming his dedication to bringing his vision to fruition upon assuming the highest position.
“I must have a manifesto, otherwise if I do everything now, if I could, what would I do when I come into office? How can you do everything now? Even former President Mahama who was President, I’m only a Vice President, why didn’t he do everything then? Why is he coming back? He had full authority, I don’t have full authority.
“The budget that has gone to Parliament, which has been passed, is not my budget, is it my budget? It’s not my budget. The budget goes in the name of the President, it doesn’t go in the name of the Vice President.
“But when you have to think about what new you want to do, you come up with new ideas, and I have come up with new ideas which I want to do when we come into office.”
He emphasized that anybody hoping to become president must create a fresh and creative platform that showcases their potential leadership and contrasted his candidacy with that of other vice-presidential candidates throughout the world.
“Everyone who is running for office, whether you are Kamala Harris or you are Bawumia, you still have to think about what you have to do when you get into office. And this is why I’m presenting my new ideas as to what to do.”
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com