“See you at Old Trafford soon,” quipped Harry Maguire in response to an apology from Ghanaian MP Isaac Adongo, who had previously likened Maguire’s football performance to criticisms of Ghana’s Vice-President Mahamadu Bawumia’s economic management.
Adongo, in a past parliamentary debate, compared Bawumia’s handling of the economy to Maguire’s play at the heart of Manchester United’s defence, part of a broader accusation of mismanagement causing hardship amid Ghana’s severe economic crisis.
However, during a recent budget debate, Adongo retracted his analogy, offering apologies to Maguire: “He is a transformational footballer… now scoring goals for Manchester United.”
Accepting the apology, Maguire playfully responded, hinting at a future meeting at Manchester United’s home ground, Old Trafford. Despite this, Maguire continued his critique of Bawumia, accusing him of seeking aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by “roaming” with a cup in hand.
Ghana had turned to the IMF last year, securing approval for a three-year, $3 billion programme, including an initial disbursement of $600 million. Bawumia, leading the government’s economic team, has been nominated as the ruling party’s candidate for the 2024 elections.
