<<Print>>

Head of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress, Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tameklo has opined that the role of Ghana’s Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia cannot be likened to a driver’s mate.

To him, the position of the Vice President, as enshrined in the constitution, is rather comparable to a co-driver or spare driver.

“He is not a drivers’ mate; he is like what we call a co-driver or a spare driver. STC where Nana Akomea is the Managing Director, when going on a long journey have 2 drivers. One takes it for about 6 hours, the other driver will take over. That driver is not the driver’s mate. He is a co-driver.

"And the record will show in Ghana that when Akufo Addo traveled after the Ayawaso case, thus the shooting incident, it was Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia acting as the President, who set up the Emile Short Commission. Mates don’t do that; it is the spare driver or a co-driver that will do that.” he said whiles contributing to discussions on Tv3's Big Issues monitored by Peacefmonline.com on Monday February 12, 2024, 

Mr Tameklo further pointed out that the persons who put Ghana's 1992 constitution together envisioned the Vice President as someone who would assume presidential duties when necessary.

"You also noticed that as far as the 1992 Constitution is concerned, it has never been in the contemplation of the makers of the Constitution that our Vice President should be a mate. They had always seen the Vice President as somebody who will act in the absence of the President. Very important. And that is why the ticket is always one,” he added.

He accused the Vice President of having "destroyed" the economy he was tasked to manage as head of the Economic Management Team (EMT), and attempting to pass the buck.

"All because the economy that was given to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to manage, he has destroyed it. There is no economy today. This country is bankrupt. The budget, the economy is that of the President and his vice. And in the specific case of Dr. Bawumia, according to Nana Yaw Sarfo Marfo, he says at cabinet he’s the star boy in economic management conversation. So, it is too late in the day for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to run away from the mess that he has created in the economy," he indicted.