The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia says Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia should not be given credit for introducing digitalisation in Ghana.

According to him, all the clamour about digitalisation started under former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama when he was a Minister for Communication.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Personality Profile on Friday, December 15, Mr Nketia said “Who is the godfather of digitalisation in Ghana apart from former President John Dramani Mahama?" 

He stated that previously, the country used to have a ministry for post and telecommunication, emphasising that the ministry was later separated when former President Mahama became the minister.

“These two portfolios were separated because there was an opportunity for expansion in the telecommunication and the ICT sector. So John Dramani Mahama was actually the grandfather of this whole digitalisation - go and check the records and his investments in laying the infrastructure for ICT in this country,” he said.

The NDC Chairman further emphasised that governance is a continuous tradition, stating that there is nothing wrong when a government comes into power to utilised infrastructures that have been laid by its predecessors.

However, he stated “But you don’t claim ownership of digitalisation in Ghana so if we talk about digitalisation, then Bawumia doesn’t come anywhere close to Mahama.”

Mr. Nketia clarified that digitalisation is accomplished when one person establishes the infrastructure, and another person utilises it for a specific purpose.

He added that if Mr Mahama who laid the infrastructure is not positioned to utilize it, Dr Bawumia should not claim ownership when building upon it.

“Bawumia was not brought on board this economy because of his expertise in ICT and or digitalisation. We all know why Bawumia was brought. The one who brought him told us Ghanaians that he does not have expertise in building the economy and that is why he has taken the trouble to look for Dr Bawumia and picked him from the Bank of Ghana.

“Dr Bawumia at the Bank of Ghana as deputy governor at that time was responsible for all the economic success under President Kufuor and that was why he brought him up to make him the Chairman of the Economic Management Team so that he could help build what he called at that time - a shattered economy,” Mr Nketia stressed.

The NDC Chairman asserted that since the NPP flagbearer for the election 2024 assumed that position, the economy moved from bad to worst until its current state.

"You see he's now running away from his own E-levy. His spokesperson has come to say that Bawumia never supported e-levy. At the time it was being introduced, it was like Bawumia bringing some magic to generate money to pay our contractors and arrears," he said.