Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Running Mate to Nana Akufo-Addo, has criticised President John Mahama for being insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians and Northerners who as a result of the hardships imposed on them by the government, are desperately calling for change.

Dr. Bawumia made these comments on Monday at the NPP Upper East Regional Rally in Bolgatanga and are in response to comments made by President John Mahama a few days ago that he pities Northerners calling for change.

Explaining that Northerners and Ghanaians are calling for change because they are suffering, Dr. Bawumia said “with so much resources you have mismanaged the economy, the economy has exposed you and after that exposure, it’s time for election and then you come and say I am a Northerner, vote for me and I pity Northerners calling for change”


“You should pity people who don’t have a job, you should pity people who cannot afford healthcare because the National Health Insurance Scheme has collapsed, you should pity children who are going hungry because the School Feeding Programme is collapsing, you should feel pity for Senior High School children who are going hungry because they are not receiving feeding grants”, he noted.

Continuing, Dr. Bawumia outlined more segments of the Ghanaian population whose livelihoods have been adversely affected by the incompetence and mismanagement of the current John Mahama government and wondered how the President could be oblivious of all the hardships Ghanaians are going through and only choose to focus on his parochial interest.

“You should feel pity for people who cannot go to Teacher and Nursing Training Colleges because you have cancelled the Teacher and Nursing Training Allowances, you should feel pity for graduates who cannot find a job 6 years after graduation, feel pity for the cocoa farmers whose trees are dying, feel pity for fishermen who cannot afford fishing inputs because of their escalating prices, feel pity for those who cannot afford their electricity bills or school fees”


“These are the people who want change and it shows the insensitivity of the President to have the audacity to say he pities Northerners who want Change. Northerners want change because they are suffering and it is not only Northerners, people in all the Regions all want change”, he added.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia noted that Ghanaians have had enough of incompetent leadership and corruption and are now calling for visionary leadership – leadership that can think far, a reference to another recent comment of the President that he (John Mahama) can’t think far

“We don’t want incompetent leaders, we don’t want corrupt leaders, we don’t want leaders who cannot think far, we want visionary leaders and there is no better leader at this point than Nana Akufo-Addo, he is the leader for the future, the leader of integrity, the leader of vision and the leader who is incorruptible, a leader we can all be proud of whether you are a Northerner or a Southerner,” he stated.