Dr Ekua Amoakoh, spokesperson for New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and chair of the party’s Health Committee, said a briefing by Dr Bawumia changed her political stance ahead of the 2024 general elections.
“I wasn’t really interested in the NPP too much,” Dr Amoakoh told JoyNews’ PM Express with Emefa Adeti. She described a period of detachment that was visible even on her social media, where she rarely posted about the party. That changed after she began researching the NPP’s record on health sector achievements.
“But then when I started going to do the research, I saw how much we had actually achieved,” she said. Her perspective shifted significantly after attending a policy briefing led by Dr Bawumia shortly before the launch of the NPP’s M.anifest.
She recalled, “After I listened to him that day, I was like, ‘Okay, I think I see what these people are on about. There’s something there.’ He looked like he was very passionate about solving problems.”
Dr Amoakoh singled out Dr Bawumia’s explanation of the domestic gold purchase programme as an example of his problem-solving approach. She noted his ability to develop unconventional solutions to economic challenges, including the need to secure funds for MTN Ghana.
“He was talking about how he came up with the domestic gold purchase programme, about how MTN needed some money. I thought that whole ability to think of something out of the box to fix a problem was maybe the type of person whose leadership could get us to a point of some prosperity,” she said.
Her remarks offered insight into why she recommitted herself to the NPP ahead of the elections. She argued that Ghana’s future depended on leadership that went beyond fighting corruption to deliberately creating conditions for economic growth.
“I don’t think it’s just punishing corruption. It’s also being intentional about generating prosperity,” she said. Dr Amoakoh referenced South Korea and China as examples of countries that adopted economic strategies she believes Ghana could learn from.
“If you look at Ghana, it looks like we are marking time. We’re walking slowly when we could have been maybe galloping or jumping at the pace of Singapore and all the other countries,” she added.
Dr Amoakoh also said Ghana needed leaders capable of setting a clear strategy for wealth creation and expanding economic opportunities.
Her comments came during a personality profile interview on February 12, 2024, on JoyNews’ PM Express. Dr Amoakoh’s renewed enthusiasm for the NPP emerged from her direct engagement with the party’s policy initiatives and Dr Bawumia’s approach to governance.
Her account reveals the role internal party briefings and detailed policy discussions played in shaping political allegiance ahead of the 2024 polls.
According to Joy Online.
