Ken Agyapong can have his opinion but Ghanaians know what caused the challenges – Egyapa Mercer

The criticisms by Assin Central Member of Parliament Kennedy Agyapong against how the economy has been managed are his own opinions but Ghanaians recognize what has occasioned the challenges, Member of Parliament for Sekondi Andrew Egyapa Mercer, has said.

Egyapa Mercer indicated that it is a fact that Ghana’s economy has struggled over the past few years due to exogenous factors, factors he said the Vice president had no role to play in their emergence.

“If you are measuring him you need to start from 2017 and 2018 to date,” he said on the Big Issue on TV3 Monday, July 17 while responding to criticisms of the Mr Agyapong over the management of the economy.

“Dr Bawumia was superintending over an economy that was growing 7 percent on average 2017, 2018 and 2019 and so in 2020 what happened?

“[Kennedy Agyapong] can have his opinion but the Ghanaian people and delegates will look at the entire situation and recognize that 2020, and 2021 were outliers and what caused those outliers.

“They recognize the issues that have taken us to where we are that are not attributed to Bawumia, that is not to say that he is reneging on his duties. He did not bring covid and if you think covid did not have an impact on the economy, that is your beef. He stands tall and he is the one to help us break the 8,” the Deputy Energy Minister said.

Mr Kennedgy Agyapong who is an aspiring flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) fired the government for the poor management of the local currency.

He stated that in March 2022, he had $40 million in Cedi equivalent, but by August of that same year, the value had dropped to $16 million because of the depreciation of the Cedi.

Although Mr Agyapong did not mention any name, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who is also the head of the economic management team and an aspiring flagbearer of the NPP is usually blamed for the poor performance of the Cedi against the major trading ones, especially the Dollar.

As part of his campaign tour at Kintampo East on Sunday, July 16 to be elected flagbearer, Mr Ken Agyapong who is also an Assin Central lawmaker said “We will have troubles if we don’t do a clean campaign because I will reply to every claim made against me.

“You call yourself a strategist but when we were taking over power the Dollar was 4 Cedis, today One Dollar is Twelve Cedis and yet you call yourself a strategist.

“In March 2022 I had 40 million Dollars in Cedi equivalent, in August 2022 the value of the 40 million dollars had dropped to 16 million.”