Bawumia courts Engineers, pledges government built on technical competence

New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate for the 2028 general elections, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says he will build a government where technical expertise and evidence — not politics — drive national decision-making, if elected in 2028.

Speaking to the Executive Leadership of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE) at a collaborative meeting on Monday, Dr. Bawumia said Ghana’s development failures stem partly from sidelining professionals until after major policy decisions have already been made.

“This is an important meeting for me because I strongly believe that no serious national development agenda can be designed or implemented without the active participation of our engineers, scientists, technologists and other professionals,” he said.

The meeting, attended by the President, Vice President, President-Elect, Executive Director and Executive Secretary of GhIE, was part of engagements initiated by Bawumia’s Technical Experts and Professional Bodies research team.

Engineers built Ghana’s economy

Dr. Bawumia commended GhIE for its contributions to Ghana’s development, noting that engineers have been at the centre of infrastructure, energy, transportation, water, construction, manufacturing and technology — the systems upon which the economy depends.

He praised the Institution for speaking independently on matters of national importance, including “infrastructure deficiencies, illegal mining, flooding, urban development and other challenges affecting our country.”

“Your recent interventions demonstrate why the voice of the engineering profession must be heard more systematically in national policy discussions,” he said.

From afterthought to forefront

According to Dr. Bawumia, his team’s approach is to change the traditional model where professional bodies are consulted only after decisions are taken.

“We want expertise to inform policy from the beginning,” he said. He disclosed that his research department had presented a questionnaire to GhIE seeking not just problem identification, but “practical and financeable solutions, priority reforms, infrastructure investment requirements, engineering education and human-capital development.”

The questionnaire also covers future readiness in areas such as artificial intelligence and digital transformation, and the institutional framework for sustained government-professional body collaboration.

GhIE, Dr Bawumia noted, has agreed to study the document and provide its considered responses, which he promised would be “treated with the seriousness they deserve” and synthesized with inputs from other professional bodies into practical policy proposals.

Better infrastructure, not just more

Outlining his vision, Dr. Bawumia said Ghana must move away from spending “enormous resources correcting poorly conceived projects. ”If given the opportunity to lead, he said:

“I will build a government where technical competence, evidence-based innovation and professional expertise are central to decision-making… moving to one where projects are properly designed, technically assessed, sustainably financed and professionally supervised from the outset.

“Our challenge is therefore not simply to build more infrastructure. We must build better infrastructure, maintain what we build, obtain value for money, and ensure that every major investment contributes meaningfully to productivity, industrialisation, jobs and improved living standards.”

He also highlighted future-focused investments, including Waste-to-Energy plants to address municipal solid waste, which he described as a major contributor to urban flooding.

A partnership, not just support

Dr. Bawumia called for a stronger institutional partnership between government and GhIE — one where the Institution contributes technical advice on policy formulation, project design, implementation and monitoring, beyond just ideas.

“The future we want for Ghana cannot be achieved by government alone. It requires a partnership among government, professional institutions, academia, industry and the Ghanaian people.

“I am therefore not here simply to ask for your support. I am here to ask for your expertise, your candour and your partnership,” he concluded.

The NPP flagbearer said he envisions a collaborative relationship with GhIE “built on mutual respect, professional independence, continuous dialogue and practical collaboration in the national interest” toward a Ghana that is “more productive, technologically advanced, resilient, and prosperous.”

Source: Asaaseradio.com