Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was the Achilles' heel of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the lead-up to the 2016 elections, Dr Tony Aidoo, Ghana’s former Ambassador to the Netherlands, has said.
He said even though Dr Bawumia had flaws in his analysis of the economy ahead of the polls, the NDC, then in government, failed to put up an effective communication strategy to neutralise the analysis of the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana.
“What I missed was the inability of the NDC communication team to bring out the facts so as to challenge the comparative analysis that Dr Bawumia was making,” Dr Aidoo told TV3 in his first-ever interview after he returned home from his diplomatic assignment.
“Dr Bawumia was the Achilles’ heel of the NDC”, Dr Aidoo observed, adding: “Not only for the 2016 elections but he started way back in 2012.”
Pointing out some of the things he saw as flaws in Dr Bawumia’s pre-election comments on the economy, Dr Aidoo said: “He ignored the fact that for the most part of the Kufuor administration, the eight years was virtually carried by donor financial support. All the social interventions that Kufuor implemented were donor supported,” he said.
Dr Aidoo said the Kufuor administration, for instance, had a lot of burden taken off his government’s shoulders when Ghana’s creditors wrote off 66% of the country’s debt as a result of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.
“…At the time our national debt was about 6.8 billion dollars. In effect, our debt-to-GDP ratio certainly dropped sharply so on what grounds can Bawumia compare that an economy that was virtually carried by donor financial support was managed better than an economy that did not have those support?” Dr Aidoo asked.
He, therefore, said it was important for the NDC’s communication team to have had people with “historical recall” and “administrative memory” to counter Dr Bawumia’s assertion.
Source: classfmonline.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Tony Aidoo is talking as if we don't know their caliber. From the days of P(NDC)in 1992 all the way to 2000 when they were booted out, were the Tony Aidoos, the Ahwois,the Tsikatas and those other bigwigs not part of the Rawlings' regime? And what real development or even intellectual submissions did they provide Ghanaians? NDC as a party has never been able to present any intellectual resources to the political scene of our dear nation.In spite of the professors,PHD holders and what-have-yous in the NDC,they always come out as kindergarten kids in their submissions. If you doubt me, read Tony Aidoo's submission again.If during Kufuor's administration, he was cushioned by donor support, I think that was due to the fact that he knew how to sell the disease of Ghana to the donors, so he was given a cure. And what about our Mr. Mahama's administration? They were just not credible to the donors, so Dr. Tony Aidoo, come again!!
mr, tony addo, mahama is the worst president in living and past memories, generation to come will taken his skeleton and punish him, every thing bawumai said has come to be a fact, tony addo is behind time, mark this, gh pp
If you had enough balls Dr. Aidoo why didn't come down to defend the NDC from your comfort zone in Netherlands. A simple email would have help abi? But Dr. Audio what you some NDC guys have failed to realize is that, the Ghanaian public has become very descerning and softicated. They identify a lie from the hard core facts which are true. Your NDC communicators presented lies and Dr. Bawumia presented facts whch were true and majority voted for it. Today we are enjoying the benefits of those truths. Eg.Free SHS, VAT on Bank accounts cancelled
Interestingly you had all these facts and you waited for our dear President Mahama to go down like that ???
Eii jack, Massa Its new government with 1) Free SHS, 2) National ID,3) One-district-One Factory,4) paperless port, 6) installation of teachers and 7) nursing allowance, 10) clearing all the galamsey you introduce into the country, 11) clearing all the waist you left behind at DVLA, PASSPORt office, corruption etc..... You are going to stay in opposition for over 30 years. Aamen
What Tony Aidoo have missed is that President Koffour did not get oil money unlike the NDC, cocoa prices went over the roof at that same period hence Ghana did not make any progress.
I guess Tony Aidoo was either dead or in coma at the time Bawumia was putting those facts out. They are completely confused and dazed after the defeat. Each of them have different reason for their sweet defeat. Even Mahama said it was God's plan. ***barred word***!!!!
Understand what Tony A. is saying: to wit, the NDC lacks intellectual thinkers, just as the Botwe report has said. They just were good at slogans "Ede bee keke". And the sad part of it is that they have not learnt any lessons and are keeping their 'intellectually' disabled howlers in their "Woyome" headquarters.
Massa Its new government with Free SHS, National ID, One-district-One Factory etc, we are moving forward, your party needs new competent leadership including executives choose how you want to contribute positively and lv the election behind.
Where has this Jackal been hiding? I thought this jackal has gone in to hiding when Dr Bawumia demolished his hole. I thought the Jackal is a good communicator, why did he waited until the harm is done? Any way, Jackal you are welcome back .