The Managing Director of the State Transport Corporation (STC), Nana Akomea, says Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s diverse vision and policies as a presidential candidate cannot be translated to mean that the current government has failed in its mandate.

Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews, he explained that the citizens voted for President Akufo-Addo to retain power in 2020 because the government performed well in its first term, adding that the country would have been doing a lot better if not for the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Where we are now, we are going through a rough road. We are very sure that very soon we will steer the car onto a better road. So this whole business that there's a failure and somebody is to be blamed, I don't see it. We are in difficulties. We are in a difficult patch.

“The analogy that works for me is that we are on a difficult part of the road like we are in an aircraft and you face turbulence. It will be tough, but you hope that the pilot, his first officer, and so on will get you out of the turbulence,” Nana Akomea said.

He explained that half of Dr Bawumia’s first address as the NPP’s flagbearer was on the government’s performance.

“The fact that the man says he would have a different path does not mean he is saying the current path is wrong.”

His comments come after Dr Bawumia was accused by many of attempting to distance himself from the government’s failure during his first address to the nation as NPP’s flagbearer.

Among other things, he promised to abolish the E-Levy as part of efforts to make Ghana a cashless society and introduce policies that would help eliminate VAT on electricity, emissions tax and betting tax while also touting some of his achievements including digitalisation.

However, Nana Akomea insists that although people indeed wish Dr Bawumia could implement his policies, including abolishing many of the new taxes, it is a fact that he does not have executive powers to do so.

"That is why, the Vice President and now the NPP flagbearer is appealing to Ghanaians to vote for him and give him the constitutional mandate to implement his vision," he added.

“Some of those things, especially the removal of taxes and so on, if it can be done it will be good for us if they are done now. But that points to the fact, very simple fact, that he does not yet have executive authority. So what he is saying is that if you give me executive authority, these are the things I am going to do.”

“So obviously, if he had executive authority now, or if he can move the rest of the government in that direction, obviously, some of these things will be done. The fact that they haven't been done now simply means he hasn't been able to move the rest of the government in that direction. And he also, on his own, does not have executive authority. And that is why he says that I am a mate, let me be the driver,” Nana Akomea noted.