Amissah-Arthur’s Broken Silence

Vice President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, has finally spoken about the dire state of the Cedi and indeed the economy. If only the platitude “better late than never” could be applicable here, it would have done the man some good following a litany of plaintive remarks from observers about his silence as the Cedi suffers its most restive moments.

He came in as an expert in fiscal matters – one whose input would take the country’s economy to greater heights never before surmounted in post-independence Ghana.

Not so however, as he continues to be glued to his desk rarely seen except for a few public functions. Cynics have been encouraged to question the reality and to ask whether something is amiss. Perhaps he was still searching for a solution. Eureka! He has got one but with a caveat: let there be a national conversation by experts but devoid of politics. Whatever that means!

Be it as it may, it was heart-warming hearing the seemingly dormant former chief of the country’s apex bank contribute towards what is Ghana’s most dire circumstance today.

Although flaw-tainted, his contribution has given cause to those who have expressed worry about his dormancy to rethink their impression of the veteran banker.

Having failed to proffer any acceptable solution to the unhealthy state of the economy after a long period of heading the country’s apex bank, he too, must be seen to be echoing what has already been said by others.

The issue of floating a national conversation of experts on the economy, especially the Cedi, has been in the air for a long time. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s various contributions so far have been in that direction: these are what the Vice President considers politically tainted. So who determines a political contribution?

Regardless of the quality of contributions, they would be tagged politically suggestive and hanged by government appointees and propagandists if they originate from non-NDC personalities and persons in the black book of the ruling party. These would be rubbished or starved of reverence by party hounds on the other side as they scream gibberish remarks on the airwaves of willing radio stations.

We are therefore befuddled about what Vice President Amissah-Arthur, who has just woken up from his Rip Van Winkle slumber, means by asking that those who would be contacted to make contributions towards shoring up the Cedi should avoid politics.

The task of preparing the list of invitees cannot be a wholesome exercise, especially since it would be done by persons with NDC lenses.

We understand, by Amissah-Arthur’s demand, that any person who queries government polices and points at the fiscal indiscipline – now the hallmark of the Mahama Administration – as a source of the economic crisis would be tagged politically incorrect and unfit for such a discussion.

We are excited that Vice President Amissah-Arthur has also by inference concurred that the economy is in crisis and would need a multiparty approach to fix. Welcome onboard Veep.