The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Kwetey has accused Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of suffering from a gratitude deficit.
He says the failure of Dr. Bawumai to credit successive governments for the Ghana Card project that was started under the NDC, continued by the Kufuor, Mills, Mahama administrations showed that Dr Bawumia does not recognize the works done by others.
“Dr. Bawumia finds it difficult to show gratitude to what his predecessors had done, he is suffering from massive gratitude deficit,” Fifi Kwetey said at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday while reacting to the address by Dr. Bawumia at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Wednesday, February 7.
He added “A true leader acknowledges the contributions of his predecessors. True leaders understand that leadership is like a relay race and he or she builds the new by acknowledging and appreciating what contribution was handed over to him. Mills/Mahama led NDC acknowledged that the N1 Highway was the accomplishment of the Kufuor led NPP even though the entire work was virtually done during the tenure of Mills/Mahama. Mills/Mahama led NDC similarly did not take any credit for the building of the Bui Dam even though their administration even borrowed additional money to see to the completion of the project.
“When eventually the Bui Dam was being commissioned, President Kufuor was invited and duly acknowledged as the leader whose government secured the finance for the dam. This gratitude is a mark of a secure leader. Bawumia sadly alsohas massive gratitude deficit.
“It takes someone who does not show gratitude: To claim that the Tema to Akosombo (now Mpakadan) rail line was the achievement of the NPP government when all records show that the financing was secured in 2016, one year before the Nana Addo/Bawumia came into office. Cabinet and Parliamentary approvals were also fully finalized before John Mahama left office in January of 2016. To claim that Dumsor was not resolved before the coming of the NPP in 2017 when Bawumia himself publicly declared that John Mahama should not unduly be happy for solving the energy crisis because he was the one who brought it in the first place. Nana Poku of the NPP, an energy expert, publicly stated that JM led NDC solved the problem of Dumsor. To claim that the NPP government introduced the online passport application system when the truth is that the online application system was launched under John Mahama in December 2016.
“To claim that the card was nothing to write home about until Jan 7, 2017. Dr Bawumia deliberately ignoring the significant contributions of the NDC/Mahama administration in developing the GhanaCard system to what it is today. That by 2016, the Mahama administration had: Passed the law that makes the Ghana Card the sole document for identification purposes for any transaction (L.I 2111); Collected biometric and demographic data on about 16 million Ghanaians; Processed about 4.7 million cards; Distributed about 900,000 cards; Procured 9 million blank cards. Upon assumption of office in 2017, Dr. Bawumia constituted a three-man committee headed by Prof. Ken Attafuah, to review the contract and implementation of the Ghana Card system.
The committee established the facts enumerated above which is contained on page one (1) of the report and recommended the use of the existing database to continue from where the NDC left off. Indeed, the NIA boss Prof. Ken Attafuah told Parliament that the contract that was signed by the NDC/Mahama administration with the Margins Group, is the same contract that is being implemented today. Clearly, this government only came to continue the implementation of a system that had already been developed by the NDC/Mahama government, as a continuation of what was started under President Kufour and continued by President Mills of blessed memory.
The Ghana card credit must therefore be shared by all successive governments who have contributed to where we are today. Bawumia does not even credit his boss, Akufo-Addo. Even though he is in disguise just a third term of Nana Addo, we need to call him for trying to play a fast one on the nation by conveniently throwing his boss under the bus. We see your Game and will not be fooled.”
“The GananaCard credit must therefore be shared by all successive governments,” he added.
Fifi Kwetey further said that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the entire Akufo-Addo administration cannot be trusted after indicating that Dr Bawumia cannot be trusted when he promised to provide free senior high school students with tablets in 2023 but never delivered.
“How can you claim that you ended erratic power supply (dumsor) when your party acknowledged the dumsor was solved by Mahama.
“How can you be trusted when you promised all SHS students will receive free tablets in 2023 and you did not do it,” he said at a press conference while reacting to the address delivered
Dr. Bawumia had stated categorically that he would abolish the tax on electronic financial transactions, e-levy, if elected President of Ghana. The controversial tax was introduced in 2022, and prior to the introduction, Vice President Bawumia had declared his opposition to levies on electronic financial transactions in an interview.
Delivering his first major address to the nation after his election as NPP flagbearer, during which he gave broad policy outlines of a Bawumia Presidency, Dr. Bawumia minced no words in declaring his opposition to taxes on electronic financial transactions, declaring that he would abolish e-levy as President.
Dr. Bawumia added that his bid for a Digital and Cashless Ghana would be significantly boosted if e-levy is abolished.
“To move towards a cashless economy, however, we have to encourage the population to use electronic channels payment. To accomplish this, there will be no taxes on digital payments under my administration. The e-levy will therefore, be abolished,” he declared at the UPSA auditorium on February 7.
Dr. Bawumia also announced that as part of a new tax regime by his government, he will also abolish the emission tax, tax on betting as well as the proposed 15% VAT on electricity tariffs, if it is in existence by January 2025.
He also announced that his government would introduce what he described as a friendly, flat tax regime for Ghana, which will boost individuals and businesses, particularly small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).
“My administration will introduce a very simple, citizen and business-friendly flat tax regime. A flat tax of a percentage of income for individuals and SMEs, which constitute 98% of all businesses in Ghana, with appropriate exemption thresholds set to protect the poor,” Dr. Bawumia indicated.
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