My attention has been drawn to a publication on pages 1 and 11 of The Daily Dispatch issue of Wednesday, May 19, 2021 claiming that I, Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, have said that “Bawumia should be NPP’s 2024 Flagbearer”.

I wish to state emphatically that I have not endorsed anyone as the 2024 flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party.

On Monday, May 17, 2021, Prof. Mike Oquaye granted an interview to Okyeman TV’s host, Raymond Kumah. The interview was not about flagbearship at all. It centered on the NPP and what it stands for from ancient to modern, including Ghana’s Digitisation Progress. It must be emphasized that no comparison was made with any of those interested in flagbearship. It featured President Kufuor prominently on specific areas. No endorsement was suggested to me and I did not endorse anybody.

Indeed, having asked the progress of Ghana’s digitisation initiative under Dr. Bawumia, I categorically stated that, “It will be fantastic if we are able to continue with this digitisation, automation and ICT. This complements the good work being done by Hon. Ursula at the Ministry of Communications.”

I consider Dr. Bawumia as an ‘A Plus’ performer, but so are other NPP stalwarts, including Hon. Kyerematen, Dr. Akoto, Hon. Ursula, Dr. Prempeh. These are all excellent material and I will continue to say so in context. The Trade Minister is today a global authority on International Trade, Business and Investment. The headquarters of the Africa Trade Organisation, etc., exemplify him. Also, Dr. Akoto complements development in our agro-based industry for our food both home and abroad. His work stands unprecedented in Ghana. The brilliance of Hon. Ursula in the application of ICT for national development must be spoken about, entirely without prejudice. She is also ‘A plus’. Similarly, Dr. Prempeh is managing the challenges in the Energy Ministry just like he did in the Education Ministry and we are all looking up to him and other brilliant stars which we the elders are proud of.

Similarly, while the same Prof. Mike Oquaye was going to deliver the Re Akoto Lectures, some well-wishers called to say his involvement might be misinterpreted as support for one particular aspirant. Undeniably, the story about the good NPP tradition must be told.

I must state that we should be able to extol the President’s men and women to show what the NPP is doing and is capable of. If the NPP fails to tell the world about the great achievements of President Akufo-Addo and his Ministers, we shall be heading for disaster in 2024. Let us not be seen to be pitching people against each other and I will never do this.


To have misconstrued and misrepresented the comment on Ghana’s digitization progress as an indication for a particular individual to be the Flagbearer of the NPP in 2024 is not only inaccurate but a complete falsehood.

Members of the general public are encouraged to disregard this misleading publication in The Daily Dispatch and other online media platforms.


Signed

Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye

Chairman, Africa Public Policy Institute (APPI)