In our current arrangements, it's only the executive arm of government, led by the President and supported by his Vice and Cabinet, which introduces bills to become laws.

It's common knowledge that before bills are brought to Parliament or the legislature by a Minister, on behalf of the President, the President and his Cabinet must have approved and sanctioned.

Similarly, the processes a bill traverses; challenges, stakeholder consultations, amendments, protestations, etc. before becoming law are known to, discussed, and guided by the Executive and leadership of the ruling party in Parliament.

Therefore, it's obvious that vice President Bawumia, just like his boss, Akufo-Addo, has been in the knowledge and has sanctioned everything and anything associated with the needless Public Universities Bill.

Is vice President Dr. Bawumia not the Vice President of Akufo-Addo, and a part of the same government which proposed the bill?

Has Akufo-Addo, his government, which includes Dr. Bawumia and the Minister of Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, not defended this needless and useless bill?

Are we to believe that Bawumia didn't know that the bill was withdrawn and relayed after earlier protestations by stakeholders?

Didn't Bawumia know that the withdrawal of the bill was to allow further stakeholder consultations, which didn't happen? And as that didn't take place, what sanctions have been meted out to the Minister for Education who failed to or refused to do directed?

Are we to believe that the Akufo-Addo government, his Minister for Education, and the Chairman of the Education Committee have acted on the bill; withdrawing and relaying it without the knowledge of Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia?

This whole thing about an intervention by Dr. Bawumia is a ploy to promote the Akufo-Addo preferred Dr. Bawumia and Mathew Opoku ticket for 2024.

NPP members in opposing camps are not comfortable with the duo hence schemes such as this should be expected in these last few days of the current government.

So don't be deceived, Bawumia's so-called intervention is insincere, it's to let him look innocent and to seem distant from the challenges the current government, which he and Mathew Opoku Prempeh are key members of, has had with the academic fraternity.

More specifically, Bawumia's so-called intervention is to cleanse the 'sins' his intended 2024 running mate has committed against the academic community.

I remain a citizen!

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Dr. Clement Apaak is incumbent MP and MP-Elect for Builsa South and Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament.