Persons are always in a haste to fact-check claims made by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Spokesperson of the Vice President, Dr Gideon Boako has said.
He asked those persons who are checking the claims made by Dr Bawumia to ensure that they get their facts right because they all got theirs wrong in their commentary on the economic address delivered on Thursday, April 7.
Speaking on the First Take show on 3FM with host Dzifa Bampoh on Tuesday, April 12, he said “Usually, when Vice President Bawumia speaks, people are in haste to do what they call fact-check and try to pin him down to say he lied. They have to be factual, he who calls for equity must come with clean hands. Those who are doing fact-check, if you ask me, one by one, all of them go it wrong.”
Dr Bawumia explained what has accounted for the economic challenges facing the country at the moment. He attributed some of the challenges to ongoing Russia-Ukraine warfare and also the Covid situation.
He however did not touch on the controversial e-levy policy which has been approved by Parliament.
Dr Boako explained why the Vice President kept quiet on the policy saying, “Let me ask this question, is it the normal practice even in the corporate world that if Media General takes a decision that this is what you want to do, a manager or a programmes head comes out to say that at the table, this was my view but we have taken the decision? Or when Media General takes a decision, all of you will ride with it.
“[E-levy] is a government policy. Whatever commentary anybody passed before such policy came to effect is immaterial. Whether you sat on the table, made your views known in support or in dissent, when the decision is taken it is a collective decision and what you say is immaterial.
“Mind you, you don’t come out from cabinet meetings and send out loud your opinion and push it out, it is not done anywhere. What is important is that when government takes a decision, all actors are bound by it whether you supported it or not. So it is not in the interest of the government or the Vice President himself to come out after cabinet has taken the decision to say that ‘I’m the one who championed the idea’, or to come out to say ‘when this was tabled I didn’t support it’, are you not a team player?
“It is not done anywhere, is it is not ethical. So that is the principle. What is important now is that e-levy has been approved by cabinet, and passed by parliament. Today, it is part of our tax handles, we are individuals and citizens, and we may have our own reactions towards paying tax and which particular tax is in question. Once it is approved, we are duty-bound and responsibility-bound as citizens to pay.
“We need to make sure we hold government accountable to ensure that the purpose of which the tax was introduced is achieved. I think that is where we need to focus now. If you listened to the President’s State of the Nation address after e-levy was passed, he didn’t talk so much about e-levy.
“The Finance Minister in his address after e-levy was passed didn’t talk so much about e-levy because it has been passed so I don’t see why the Vice President had to rather take time and go and delve into the matter after it has been passed.”
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana
