General News of Monday, 22 October 2018

Source: 3news.com

Bawumia is ‘narrow-minded’ on social intervention issues - Felix Kwakye-Ofosu

Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia

A former Minister in the Mahama-led government has hit back at vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on his claim that the National Democratic did not introduce any social intervention programme in last eight-year rule.

According to Felix Kwakye-Ofosu, Dr. Bawumia’s comment demonstrate he lacks the technical know-how when it comes to issues of social intervention, saying “There is a fundamental flaw of the appreciation of social intervention by the Vice President”.

Dr. Bawumia at the weekend challenged the NDC come out clear on social interventions it introduced in the Mills/Mahama eight-year tenure. This was some members of the NDC had accused the NPP government of looking on for Ghanaians to go through hardships.

The veep did not agree with the assertion by the NDC, stated the NPP has made interventions by reducing taxes and introduced Free SHS among other polices to shoulder some of the burdens off Ghanaians.

But commenting on the issue Monday, Mr. Kwakye-Ofosu who served as a deputy Communication Minister said Dr. Bawumia has a “narrow mind” in the definition of social intervention.

“He [Dr. Bawumia] is not making any point; he is seeking to blame the NDC for the hardships Ghanaians are going through,” he said on 3FM’s Sunrise morning show.

Mr. Kwakye-Ofosu argued since the NPP government came to power, there have been constant increase in fuel prices, and recently an increase in telecommunication tariffs which is to take effect from November.

He said the Vice President ought to admit that hardship is at its worst under the NPP government, something the president has admitted as a fact.

The NDC has done much more in terms of social intervention policies, as against what the NPP has done, he claimed.

“When you add the social interventions that Dr. Bawumia talks about and measure it against the taxes, there is no benefit derived from social interventions. I don’t think we should encourage this lowering of the bar by the Vice President. The reality on the ground is that, the hardship on the ground is the worst,” he mentioned,” he stated.

In his view, the NPP government is insensitivity to the plight of Ghanaians.