The parliamentary candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) offered his perspective on Bawumia's engagement with the media at the Movenpick Hotel in Accra on Sunday, August 25, 2024.
In an exclusive interview with Pulse Ghana, Dumelo questioned the practicality and sincerity of some of the solutions proposed by Bawumia.
He expressed his disappointment with Bawumia's performance during the press engagement, highlighting what he described as an alarming disconnect between his [Dr Bawumia's] statements and the actual economic conditions faced by ordinary Ghanaians, adding that the policies highlighted during the press engagement, particularly those related to inflation, unemployment, and the depreciating value of the cedi.
He argued that while the government has repeatedly promised to stabilise the economy, the average Ghanaian has yet to feel the positive effects of these measures.
Dumelo's critique extended to Bawumia's handling of economic issues, particularly his apparent reliance on scripted responses and his inconsistent approach to taking credit for government policies.
He said "The media encounter he did yesterday was very appalling. There were so many questions he didn't answer. I mean, you can't absolutely tell me as vice president that you don't know what's going on at COCOBOD. You can't absolutely tell me as chairman of the Police Council that you don't know what happened to the eight people who were murdered in 2020 with regards to the election violence. I mean, you can't tell me that you don't know these things.
"So, I don't think he's in touch with what's going on with the economy. And at some point, he was reading—I mean, I was shocked to see he was reading his achievements. I mean, if you are reading achievements, you should know them offhand."
The NPP flagbearer speaking to the press reaffirmed that the next government of the party if elected as President will be committed to improve the lives of Ghanaians.
During the press conference, Dr Bawumia was asked how he plans to address the rising cost of living in the country, and responded that "We are implementing several policies to stabilise the economy, and with time, we will see a reduction in inflation."
His answer has left many Ghanaians unconvinced, as they expected a more concrete plan and timeline for action.
Another question focused on the government’s approach to tackling unemployment.
Dr Bawumia stated that "We are working on creating more jobs through various youth entrepreneurship programs and investments in the private sector."
Dumelo, however, took the opportunity to urge Ghanaians to remain vigilant ahead of the elections.
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