BY Daniel Bampoe
A live television discussion on the economic performance took a dramatic turn on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, after a heated exchange between the Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, Shamima Muslim, and Dennis Miracles Aboagye, a leading communicator for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and spokesperson for the 2028 presidential hopeful, Mahamudu Bawumia.
The confrontation occurred during a panel discussion on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV Ghana, where both political figures were debating the implications of recent financial losses recorded by the Bank of Ghana.
The discussion, initially focused on policy interpretation and economic indicators, quickly escalated into a personal exchanges over expertise and credibility.
Aboagye challenged the government’s justification of the central bank’s losses, questioning whether such outcomes could be defended as necessary economic policy decisions.
In response, Shamima Muslim argued that the losses should be viewed within the broader context of stabilisation measures, including efforts to reduce inflation and strengthen the local currency.
She cited data indicating a sharp decline in inflation from peaks of about 54 percent in 2022 to below 5 percent in recent months—alongside what she described as improvements in the performance of the cedi.
According to her, these outcomes were the result of deliberate policy interventions, including open market operations to manage liquidity, gold-related financial strategies, and foreign exchange adjustments.
However, Aboagye disputed these claims, questioning both the accuracy of the figures and the rationale behind the policies.
He insisted that the losses could not be justified and accused the government of attempting to reframe negative financial outcomes as economic success.
The disagreement intensified when the discussion shifted to personal competence.
Shamima Muslim strongly rejected suggestions that she lacked expertise in economic matters, firing back with pointed questions about her opponent’s own experience.
In a visibly emotional moment, she challenged Aboagye’s credentials, asking what direct role he had played in managing an economy and urging him to refrain from dismissing her views.
“Stop this nonsense,” and questioned him that, ‘’Have you manage an economy before’ ’she said during the exchange, as both speakers spoke over each other while the programme’s host attempted to restore order.
The incident reflects the broader political divide between the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition NPP over the interpretation of the economic data.
While government communicators maintain that current policies are yielding stabilisation gains, opposition figures argue that the underlying financial indicators point to deeper structural concerns.
The debate over the Central Bank performance has become a central point of contention in national discourse, with both sides presenting contrasting narratives ahead of future political contests.
