Group demands full disclosure on Bawumia’s health

Pressure group Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) wants the Presidency to come out with sufficient information on the health status of the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

The Vice President was taken ill on Friday and had to be flown to the United Kingdom that same day on the advice of his doctors.

But ASEPA wants the presidency to come out and clear the air amid the speculations making rounds, especially on social media.

“Even though there are no official records of the health status of the vice President before assumption into office, it is public knowledge that the vice president is quite a healthy young man,” it said in a press release on Saturday.

“His public appearances a few days ago and even the day before the official announcement of his sudden illness did not give an indication of any fragile health concern.

“Usually the seat of government does not announce the health status of the President or the vice President and so for an official announcement to be made in this regard shows the seriousness of the situation and so the Presidency should not keep the whole country in a loop any longer.”

Find the full release below

ALLIANCE FOR SOCIAL EQUITY AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY -ASEPA

PRESS RELEASE

20-01-2018

MAKE FULL DISCLOSURE ON THE HEALTH STATUS OF THE VICE PRESIDENT -ASEPA DEMANDS

ASEPA wishes to officially call on the Presidency to make full disclosure on the current health status of the Vice President Dr.Bawumiah to clear the air on the numerous speculations on social media purporting to be unconfirmed accounts of what may have caused the vice President’s sudden illness.

Even though there are no official records of the health status of the vice President before assumption into office,it is public knowledge that the vice president is quite a healthy young man.

His public appearances a few days ago and even the day before the official announcement of his sudden illness did not give an indication of any fragile health concern.

Usually, the seat of government does not announce the health status of the President or the Vice President and so for an official announcement to be made in this regard shows the seriousness of the situation and so the Presidency should not keep the whole country in a loop any longer.

Announcing his ill health and the subsequent flying out of the vice president to the UK for further treatment isn’t enough to allay the fears and concern of all well meaning Ghanaians on whose taxes the vice president is being taken care of.

It is important that Presidency makes full disclosure on the causes of the vice president’s sudden ill health, his status before he was flown out of the country and also keep the citizens informed every step of the way on the improvement of his health status or otherwise.

This is a matter of public concern and so we expect the Presidency to act proactively throughout the period in which the vice president is indisposed to prevent unnecessary speculations.

Even though the constitution of Ghana is not clear on the duties of the Vice President, we know that the vice president heads the economic management team(EMT) so it is important that there is an official communique indicating which official will act in his stead until he fully recovers to take up official duties.

This situation seriously ignites the debate of full disclosure of the health status of public officials before putting themselves up for election into public offices, it is important that Parliament makes clear cut laws in this regard to fully direct our paths on how to act accordingly as a nation especially when such situations present themselves.

Our thoughts and prayers are first with the second family, the wife and children of the vice president and his extended family and secondly to the good people of Ghana.

Let us remind the Vice President in prayers and also with heartwarming support throughout this trying moment and it is our prayer that he recovers soon.

Signed:

Mensah Thompson

Executive Secretary -ASEPA