Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has given a glowing testimony about his very first encounter with the flagbearer of his party, the New Patriotic Party, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Speaking to some selected journalists in a nationwide broadcast on Sunday, November 17, 2024, the former president said he first encountered Dr. Bawumia during his presidency in 2003. The then young economist, who was working at the Bank of Ghana, joined the governor and a government entourage to a conference in London.
“I met him in 2003. We attended an international conference in London organised by the Financial Times on finance and the economy. In attendance were governors, politicians, and big-time bankers.
My team that I left Ghana with included the governor of the central bank, Paul Acquah, some ministers, and some junior officers who were with Governor Paul Acquah. One of the juniors following him as a research assistant was Bawumia. I never knew him; my eldest son is older than him,” the former president said.
Mr. Kufuor narrated that the Central Bank of Ghana, on behalf of the government, was supposed to present an economic paper at the conference. To his surprise, a young Bawumia mounted the platform to present the paper.
More shocking to President Kufuor was Dr. Bawumia’s brilliance in his presentation and the humble demeanour he kept throughout.
“The international conference was held at a big hotel called Landmark Hotel. As part of our presentation of papers for the conference, the Bank of Ghana was scheduled to hold a presentation. The next thing I saw was a young man going up to present the paper.
“The governor and his officials were all sitting down, so I was taken aback a bit. But the depth of the paper and the brilliance of the young man attracted instant applause when he was done. While he was going back to his seat, I called for him, and when he came, he was all humble. I commended him to keep up the good work and that it would take him far. This was in 2003,” the former president said.
Mr. Kufuor underscored the vice president’s personality and economic knowledge, noting that Dr. Bawumia meets the right criteria of leadership quality required by Ghana at the current time and urged electorates to vote for the vice president come December 7, 2024.
Ghana will go to the polls on December 7 to elect a new president and parliamentary representatives.
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