Features
Bawumia, an economic genius
Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia
When Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia made it clear that if given the opportunity to choose between the Ghana Card on the one hand and some road interchanges on the other, he would prefer to choose the Ghana Card, many people, especially those in the opposition, lambasted him and rained insults on him just because they did not understand the essence of his choice.
What Vice President Bawumia meant when he made the choice of the Ghana Card was that the card was a facility or document that could make things easy as far as business transactions between individuals and corporate organisations are concerned. He meant that the document known as the Ghana Card was going to facilitate all transactions and make things easy for socioeconomic development in the country.
Some of the direct benefits of his profound statement and choice are that the Ghana Card would serve as an identity to make it easy for people to register for their health insurance, merge their SSNIT numbers with it, and also help everyone to be easily identified for the purpose of participating in elections in the country at any point in time.
The Ghana Card, which serves as our national ID card, would also serve as an employee identity card on all occasions and help the country to fish out criminals in the country. Again, going for loans from the banks or engaging in any form of business transaction could also be facilitated through the use of our national identity card, otherwise known as the Ghana Card.
If the Ghana Card can be used for all these purposes, among other things, then it stands to reason that all forward-looking citizens of this country ought to understand and embrace it for its socioeconomic values. It takes only a genius like Vice President Dr. Bawumia to understand the essence of our national ID card, the Ghana Card. It is this card that can help promote revenue collection and also promote business transactions in any part of this country for the reconstruction of Ghana’s economy. If this is the case, then it is possible to use the ID card, which is the Ghana Card, to generate enough revenue to rebuild roads, hospitals, schools, road interchanges, and many other good things in the country.
Those who misunderstood the Vice President are not the reading type or lack knowledge of processes that could easily lead to the building of facilities and other good things in the country.
From this, it becomes clear that Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia is a genius whose foresight goes beyond that of his political opponents. Understood in this way, the Vice President is a great economic genius whose contribution to the economic growth of the country is beyond measure.
He should be seen as a great asset that is far better than many of the human commodities we have in this country. His plans and programmes for this country go beyond the immediate benefits that this country can derive from our national growth.
WHO THEN IS A GENIUS?
A person can be described as a genius when he’s knowledgeable, creative, skilled, and understands the present and the future. Such a person also knows what can be done today to push us further or forward for progress in the future. In other words, such a person has foresight as far as economic strides are concerned.
It is good that Vice President Bawumia is the Head of the National Economic Management Team and is collaborating with other hardworking personalities such as the Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, and many others in the country to ensure that Ghana moves on smoothly to achieve the ultimate economic goal for the country. This is what we need to meet all the challenges facing a developing country like Ghana and propel the country from its current economic level to a higher pedestal of economic development.
The world has been facing serious economic challenges as a result of the Russian-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic. These developments have taught Ghana and many others in the world that we need to take pragmatic measures to strengthen our economy and make it more resilient to economic shocks.
The Akufo-Addo administration has, therefore, reacted positively to this development, making it possible for the country to make strides in the face of global economic challenges.
In spite of the challenges facing the country, the Akufo-Addo administration, ably supported by Vice President Bawumia, the Finance Minister, and the Economic Management Team, is putting up 111 district health facilities across the country. In addition, 307 ambulances have been supplied to all parts of the country, and today, every constituency has at least one ambulance.
Furthermore, drones have also been brought in to supply essential drugs to distant places throughout the country. In addition to all these, free Senior High School, Technical and Vocational Education and Training are also ongoing to ensure that the manpower needs of the country are being met in the right way.
Coming back to Vice President Bawumia as a genius, it should not be forgotten that his role in the economic team is helping to transform the economy of Ghana. Indeed, certain positive measures have been taken to make it possible for the Cedi to gain essential value and appreciation. It should not be forgotten that Vice President Bawumia has announced that the government has decided to use gold instead of the US dollar for the purchase of crude oil into the country. This is working perfectly well, and many fuel-exporting countries have sent representatives into the country to take advantage of this new arrangement.
In connection with this, all those involved in the legal mining of gold in the country are to deposit the gold they gather in rural banks for these banks to deal with the Precious Minerals and Mining Companies (PMMC) for export.
This is an ingenious measure that can come from practical-oriented minds that can overturn the economic challenges facing the country.
Similarly, Dr. Bawumia and his economic team have also succeeded in controlling speculation regarding the value of the US dollar.
What is more, Dr. Bawumia and his team under the direction of President Akufo-Addo have made it clear that, beginning in 2023, our foreign imports will be cut by 40 per cent. Those who want to bring in commodities like imported cooking oil and imported chicken will have to find their own foreign currencies for that purpose but not request dollars from the Bank of Ghana.
These and many other measures taken by Dr. Bawumia and his Economic Management Team under the direction of President Akufo-Addo have helped ease the pressure on the US dollar. This explains why the Cedi is performing wonderfully well and appreciating in value.
For all these reasons, those who are only concerned about empty politics that cannot bring any benefit to the country would have to stop the misdirection of their energy and collaborate with the government to ensure that we are able to achieve our ultimate goal of economic development.
On the basis of this, let each and every Ghanaian support the efforts of the Economic Management Team and also pray that President Akufo-Addo continues to provide the good leadership he has made available for the country so that both the present and future generations will benefit from the current programmes and policies being implemented.
By Dr Kofi Amponsah-Bediako
Email address/whatsApp number of author:
Pradmat201@gmail.com (0553318911)
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
