Veteran journalist and political commentator Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has criticized former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for claiming credit for the recent appreciation of the cedi, describing his comments as not only insulting but also historically uninformed.
Speaking on MetroTV on Wednesday, May 21, Mr. Pratt did not hold back his frustration. He said the vice president watched the cedi depreciate from GHS 3.40 to nearly GHS 17 to the dollar but now claims expertise in reviving the currency.
“He was sitting there in power for 8 years, eight long years. At the end of the eight years, the value of the cedi was 17 to a dollar. What right has he got to be lecturing us?” he asked.
Read also: Cedi’s Appreciation: It’s Time for Prices to Decrease—Joyce Bawa insists
Mr. Pratt dismissed the Vice President’s attribution of the cedi’s gains to policy measures from the previous administration but added that multiple global and local factors were responsible for the improvement, not any one initiative.
“Everybody knows about the fact that the cedi’s value is appreciating, and the propaganda accompanying this strengthening of the cedi is absolutely nonsensical,” he added.
He further advised that while the recent appreciation of the cedi is evident, it should not be used for political gain, especially by those who oversaw its prior collapse. He also urged a more realistic and historically grounded conversation on economic recovery: “We are fed up with these lectures.” He added.
View this post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJXtE6eIyL3/?igsh=MXFiOGRubml2eW5teA==
Dr. Bawumia, during his thank-you tour in London, claimed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government does not deserve credit for the recent gains of the Ghanaian cedi.
He noted that the NDC’s budget had been recently passed, but no substantial spending or project implementation had occurred to influence the currency’s recent appreciation.
Dr. Bawumia attributed the cedi’s current gains to the strategic policies he introduced during his tenure in government, particularly the gold purchase program.
He challenged the NDC to cite a single implemented policy that is causing the gains.
