Dr. Gideon Boako, the spokesperson for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has strongly responded to remarks made by Ohene Ntow, a former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Boako dismissed Ntow’s credibility, stating that he lacks proximity to the government and is therefore unaware of its workings.
Ntow had previously stated that the credit for the Paperless Port initiative should not be attributed to Vice President Bawumia. Instead, he argued that former Trades Minister Alan Kyerematen should be recognized for the initiative. In response to these claims, Boako called Ntow’s statements false.
During an interview on Citi TV on Tuesday, June 20, Boako emphasized that Kyerematen was not involved in the meetings that contributed to the development of the Paperless Port initiative. He stated, “He [Ohene Ntow] has no idea, ignore all those comments, no need to respond, all of them are lies. Don’t listen to some of these things. Nana Ohene Ntow is never close to the government, he doesn’t even know what happens in government.”
Boako further highlighted his firsthand experience with Vice President Bawumia during an unannounced visit to the port, where the Paperless Port idea was introduced. He explained that the Vice President initiated the policy after engaging with port officials and freight forwarders. Boako also mentioned a two-day conference on the Paperless Port, which involved international experts and representatives from prominent ports worldwide.
Regarding Alan Kyerematen’s role, Boako expressed that he did not witness Kyerematen’s involvement in the conference or the formulation of the initiative. He concluded by suggesting that the opinions of ordinary Ghanaians, who associate the Paperless Port with Vice President Bawumia, should be considered.
The exchange between Boako and Ntow takes place amidst internal elections within the NPP, but Boako reiterated that the former General Secretary’s claims were baseless and aimed at taking credit for an initiative in which he had no direct involvement.