Mahama, NDC have no message; NPP jabs opposition party for personal attacks on Vice President
It is becoming clear that the main opposition National Democratic Congress ( NDC) is struggling to craft a message to woo the electorate ahead of the December general elections.
According to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and some political watchers, since the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is the NPP flagbearer delivered his national address, the NDC has become dazed unable to find an antidote to the facts, figures and policies he put forward , and have rather resorted to personality attacks.
24-Hour Economy hoax
To the NPP, the NDC had come to the realization that its so-called 24-Hour Economy, which the party’s flagbearer John Dramani Mahama has been propagating is a non-starter, and that the only way to go is to launch blistering attacks on the person on Dr Bawumia.
Fiifi Kwetey
Leading the attacks is the General Secretary of the NDC , Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey. Notorious for such acts, the former Ketu North MP, at a political event in Tamale, shamelessly described Dr Bawumia as a “disgrace to the North and deserves no chance to lead.”
Again on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, Fiifi Kwetey went berserk during a news conference in Accra, firing verbal salvos at the Vice President without offering any alternatives to the initiatives, which Dr Bawumia seeks to undertake if he wins the elections.
Ahiagba reacts
As the NDC General Secretary went on with his scathing attacks, the Director of Communications of the NPP, Richard Ahiagbah, took to social media to react to the press conference . He said the NDC’s strategy has been to attack the personality of Dr Bawumia because they cannot match up to his quality. “I am listening to my former MP and Senior Fiifi Kwetey, NDC’s General Secretary and the strategy is clear. If you can’t beat Bawumia in terms of the quality and clarity of vision, attack his personality. This is a classic case of if you don’t get the ball, don’t miss the man. The propaganda won’t wash because Ghana knows the man Bawumia,” he wrote on X.
Bawumia’s vision
Dr Bawumia had stated categorically that he would abolish the tax on e-levy, if elected President of Ghana.
The controversial tax was introduced in 2022, and prior to the introduction, Vice President Bawumia had declared his opposition to levies on electronic financial transactions.
In his national address after his election as NPP flagbearer, Dr Bawumia said, “To move towards a cashless economy, however, we have to encourage the population to use electronic channels payment. To accomplish this, there will be no taxes on digital payments under my administration. The e-levy will therefore, be abolished.”
Dr Bawumia also announced that as part of a new tax regime by his government, he will also abolish the emission tax, tax on betting as well as the proposed 15% VAT on electricity tariffs, if it is in existence by January 2025.
He also announced that his government would introduce a friendly, flat tax regime for Ghana, which will boost individuals and businesses, particularly small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs). “My administration will introduce a very simple, citizen and business-friendly flat tax regime. A flat tax of a percentage of income for individuals and SMEs, which constitute 98% of all businesses in Ghana, with appropriate exemption thresholds set to protect the poor,” he stated.
