Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, the opposition party’s running mate, has criticized Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for shifting his focus towards digitalization after previously positioning himself as an economic expert. In an exclusive interview with Daniel Oduro on GhanaWeb TV’s Election Desk, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang called for a collective approach to solving Ghana’s problems.
She stated, “We had an economic guru, an economic whiz kid. Why are we here? We don’t all have to be economists, but we live in the economy… It is not next year; it’s going to be tough.
It’s tough right now, and the one in charge says he is now doing digital.”
She emphasized the need for collaborative efforts and criticized the current leadership for positioning themselves as the sole problem-solvers. “We are not saying you don’t know anything. You know something; others know something else.
Link with them. Don’t put yourself on this pedestal as if you’re the only one who can do it,” she added. Prof.
Opoku-Agyemang reflected on Ghana’s past, reminiscing about a time when the country was debt-free and self-sufficient under the leadership of a military figure. She questioned what is genuinely required for effective governance, asking, “The only time we’ve been truly independent — we didn’t owe anybody, we were not paying any debts, we had enough food — it was a military man who was in charge. Was he a lawyer or an economist?
So what does it take?”
Her comments come as Ghana prepares for the 2024 general elections on December 7. Professor Opoku-Agyemang, alongside John Dramani Mahama, will represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC), while Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also known as NAPO, will represent the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Opoku-Agyemang advocates for collective solutions
In a separate interview, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang expressed concern over the lack of proper dialogue in addressing Ghana’s pressing issues. She highlighted the crucial role of dialogue in politics, emphasizing that constructive conversations are essential for leaders and stakeholders to identify and provide viable solutions to tackle national challenges.
“Whatever is working, let’s keep it. What is not working? There are plenty of such issues, and we all know about them. If it’s about food inflation, we all know.
If it’s about our currency that is not stable, we all know. If it’s about our roads that are not fixed, if it’s about the challenges in our health system, whether it’s challenges in our educational system, we know them. Let us list them and let us dialogue,” she said.
Professor Opoku Agyemang believes that no single individual can solve the country’s problems. She stressed the need for collaboration between stakeholders, political leaders, and civil society organizations to collectively contribute their expertise towards overcoming the challenges. Furthermore, Prof. Opoku Agyemang expressed deep concerns over the increasing number of young people leaving the country out of desperation. While she supports the idea of people traveling and gaining new experiences, she worries about the reasons for this exodus. Though I don’t have a problem with people leaving the country, it’s concerning that most are doing so out of desperation and frustration due to the country’s economic woes,” she said.
She emphasized the risks these individuals face, often traveling without considering potential dangers, and called for immediate attention to this pressing issue. As a former education minister, Prof. Opoku Agyemang called for collective efforts to implement policies addressing the root causes of Ghana’s mass migration and brain drain.
