Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, the running mate to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, has said that freedom of expression is an essential ingredient for the attainment of economic development. Ghana has currently been touted as one of the most democratic countries on the continent with a deep respect for freedom of speech as well as having a vibrant media. Dr. Bawumia, who spoke on Joy FM's Super Morning Show Friday, emphasized that it is important to carefully guard the country’s free speech credentials. “Freedom is so important in everything we do...so the whole issue of freedom of the press is very critical to development. “You cannot really talk of social justice when you have to imprison people who speak their mind, there is no social justice in that. So freedom is very very important to anchor the development of any nation...” he insisted.