Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has been positioned by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin as the man most qualified to uphold the principles of the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition in a quickly changing technological and economic environment.
In a speech at the Young Commons Forum (YCF), which was organised by students from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Kumasi Technical University, Afenyo-Markin made the case that Bawumia has effectively adapted the movement’s fundamental tenets of opportunity, private enterprise, and individual liberty to address Ghana’s current issues.
“Every tradition that survives across generations must answer the same question each time leadership passes to a new hand: does this successor carry the inheritance forward, or only invoke its name?” according to Afenyo-Markin.
“The case I wish to make is that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has done the harder thing.”
Bawumia’s political roots may be traced back to the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition itself, according to the Effutu Member of Parliament. He mentioned that the Northern People’s Party was founded by Bawumia’s father, Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, who also held the position of vice chairman alongside Chief S.D. Dombo.
According to Afenyo-Markin, Bawumia is solidly positioned within a prominent political lineage that dates back to Ghana’s pre-independence era thanks to this familial tradition. He continued by saying that technical advancement, economic development, and inclusivity are the cornerstones of Bawumia’s vision for the nation.
The Minority Leader highlighted that Bawumia aims to create sustainable jobs and position Ghana to prosper in the Fourth Industrial Revolution while utilising the capabilities of all individuals, regardless of race, party affiliation, or religion.
Macroeconomic stability, fiscal restraint, growth driven by the private sector, tax simplification, digital transformation, reduced living expenses, value addition to natural resources, and more robust accountability systems are among the main tenets of Bawumia’s vision, according to Afenyo-Markin.
He emphasised that the program’s objectives are to reduce government size and promote increased private sector involvement in infrastructure development while maintaining low inflation, stable currency rates, and sensible government spending.
The Minority Leader also emphasised Bawumia’s emphasis on digitalisation, pointing out that modernising public services, agriculture, healthcare, and education would depend heavily on technology, artificial intelligence, and data-driven systems.
He also outlined plans to lower living expenses by making specific investments in housing, transportation, food production, and renewable energy.
According to Afenyo-Markin, these policies constitute a modern manifestation of the Danquah-Dombo-Busia legacy rather than a break from it.
“It would be a mistake to receive this vision as something new grafted onto an old party, it is, rather, a modern expression of a philosophy that has been constant since Saltpond in 1947.” he stated.
He pointed out that Bawumia’s “big tent” strategy is similar to the inclusive coalition-building that characterised the United Party’s establishment in the 1950s, bringing together many ethnic, regional, and religious groups around a common goal.
The comments are a part of the NPP’s larger attempt to portray Bawumia as a forward-thinking leader capable of addressing Ghana’s new economic and technical challenges as well as a devoted steward of the party’s longstanding traditions.
Afenyo-Markin put up a strong defence of the New Patriotic Party’s track record of social intervention, claiming that governments with roots in the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition implemented many of Ghana’s most revolutionary measures.
The Effutu lawmaker attributed the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to former President John Agyekum Kufuor, who replaced the contentious “cash and carry” healthcare system.
“Before Kufuor came to office, we had what we call cash and carry, the NDC says they are social democrats, but under the NDC we had what we called cash and carry,” Afenyo-Markin said.
He regarded the NHIS as a historic change that improved citizens’ productive potential and lowered financial obstacles to healthcare.
He stated that rather than encouraging dependency, the program embodies a centre-right ideology that views social security as a way to enable people to engage in the economy more successfully.
Afenyo-Markin also cited Kufuor’s administration’s implementation of the Capitation Grant, the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education program, and the School Feeding Program, all of which greatly increased educational access and lessened the financial burden on low-income families.
“It was Kufuor’s administration that for the first time in the history of our country under the Fourth Republic declared and made basic education free,” he stated.
He also gave Kufuor credit for creating the Metro Mass Transit system, proving that centre-right governments understand the value of wise public investment.
Afenyo-Markin turned to the administration of former President Nana Akufo-Addo and said that one of the most significant social initiatives in Ghana’s Fourth Republic was the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) program.
He maintained that the policy is in line with the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition’s emphasis on human capital development and has expanded educational possibilities for youngsters from underprivileged backgrounds.
“Free SHS therefore represents not a departure from centre-right philosophy, but its practical fulfilment,” he said.
The One-District-One-Factory (1D1F) program, Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), the expansion of free Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and the Agenda 111 hospital project were all commended by the congressman.
He defined Agenda 111 as a significant step toward closing the gaps in healthcare access in underprivileged regions, PFJ as an attempt to make agriculture financially viable for smallholder farmers, and 1D1F as a decentralised approach to industrial growth and employment creation.
Afenyo-Markin contrasted the National Democratic Congress (NDC) with the NPP.
He stated to the audience, “I contend therefore that the NDC has no single social intervention program introduced by them and implemented successfully since they first had a chance to govern this country.”
Source: newsthemegh.com