Bawumia: A Great Asset to the NPP, and a Ready-Made Leader in Waiting for Ghana – Nsemkeka
I have never hidden my admiration and respect for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and a few days ago, when a video of his brilliant submission at the 2025 IDU Conference in Brussels emerged, my respect for him soared to new heights.
For over six years, I have followed Dr Bawumia’s work as Vice President, admired him from afar, and written substantially about him in public articles that can be found on major websites.
Friends have always questioned the source of my passion and inspiration to regularly write about a man I have never met in person. My response to them has always been the Akan adage: “He who is climbing a good tree deserves a good push.”
Yesterday, one of these friends—an unrepentant critic of the former Vice President—called me and conceded.
“Doc, I must admit that your man is very courageous, smart, and knows his stuff,” my friend finally said of Dr Bawumia, after carefully watching the video which had gone viral.
He also said his newfound respect for Dr Bawumia has soared further, following the vindication of some of the policy initiatives he led, such as the Gold for Oil programme, the Ghana Card, and integrated payment systems.
I am not surprised. Indeed, Dr Bawumia possesses certain qualities—even his detractors privately admit to: courage, brilliance, and passion. And all were on display recently in Brussels, during his exceptional delivery at the IDU Summit on global trade and economic issues.
Right in front of top global political leaders, Dr Bawumia boldly addressed a thorny issue involving superpowers—the US and China—which many speakers at the forum merely skirted.
With an incredible display of retentive memory, as well as arithmetic and statistical precision, Dr Bawumia shared an incisive perspective on the ongoing trade war, and why imposing tariffs is detrimental to international trade and global economies.
Dr Bawumia’s understanding of the complex issue was remarkable, and the high-level audience was in total agreement with his prognosis.
Remember, this was not a prepared speech. Neither was it a direct extempore address of his own. He was responding to spontaneous questions during a panel discussion, and his insightful delivery truly stood him out as a man who knows what he is about and is on top of the issues.
Even I, who have admired him for years, was left dumbfounded by his sheer brilliance. To say Dr Bawumia is a brilliant man is an understatement! The impact of his intellect on the nation, through the work he did as Vice President, is evident in many areas.
Back home in Ghana, Dr Bawumia has equally demonstrated a remarkable understanding of our age-old challenges and took steps to address them when he served as Vice President.
His brilliance and passion have contributed immensely to building a much-needed strong foundation for our country’s modern economic transformation. Dr Bawumia has insisted that no country’s economy can be transformed into a modern one without strong technological pillars. Therefore, he pushed for essential systems such as citizens’ identity and address databases, financial inclusion, integrated digital payment systems, and the online delivery of key public services.
Dr Bawumia is passionately committed to implementing all these to set Ghana on a strong economic footing—and the rewards, or impacts, are evident today.
Even President Mahama, who once questioned the relevance of some of the initiatives Dr Bawumia was championing, has now conceded and is proudly announcing new programmes through the Ghana Card.
If the brilliant Dr Bawumia was able to achieve all this as Vice President, without absolute authority, I can only imagine what he would do for the country if Ghanaians were to give him a chance one day.
At the IDU Conference, Dr Bawumia proved once again that he is a leader who understands the complexities of global politics and the challenges of a developing economy like ours. With the opportunity he had as Vice President, he showed vision, competence, and passion, proving that if given full authority, he could bring about significant transformation in Ghana.
Dr Bawumia is a great asset to this country—and a ready-made leader in waiting.
As a nation, we should be proud that we have such a man poised to serve, whom we can call upon in leadership.
Indeed, you cannot wish Ghana well and not appreciate Dr Bawumia for what he has done for the country from his limited role as Vice President.
Undoubtedly, Dr Bawumia is a great asset to the NPP, and a ready-made leader in waiting for Ghana.
He has already shown that he is climbing a good tree, and as our wise elders succinctly put it, he who climbs a good tree deserves a push to the top!
The NPP must push Dr Bawumia up once again, so the good people of Ghana will join hands with them and give him his well-deserved opportunity to serve as President—and implement his transformative vision for Ghana.