John Mahama, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia
Flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has challenged his main contender in this year’s elections, ex-President John Dramani Mahama, to a debate on the economy.
Dr. Bawumia said that the current government has undertaken tangible and verifiable developmental projects, as opposed to those of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government led by Mr. Mahama.
The Vice President, who argued with the NDC flagbearer at the 8th Ghana CEO Summit in Accra, stated that the NPP government’s initiatives are not “guinea fowl” projects under Mr. Mahama’s tenure.
This came after Mr. Mahama blasted the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, claiming that Ghana had become a bankrupt, collapsed country as a result of poor leadership in the past eight years.
“We are all aware of our country’s current challenges and difficulties. Today, we stand at a critical and troubling crossroads, as our beloved Ghana has become a bankrupt, collapsed economy due to poor leadership over the past eight years, pushing some 8,000 of our citizens into the poverty line,” the NDC leader fired.
Vice President Bawumia, who addressed the CEO Summit via Zoom from Canada, quickly returned fire, challenging ex-President Mahama to a debate on the economy and performance of the two governments.
He emphasised that the NPP government under President Akufo-Addo has outperformed the NDC government under Mahama, pointing out that the current government’s initiatives, unlike those of the previous administration, are real and can be verified by the public.
According to him, the progress achieved by the Akufo-Addo administration is not only apparent, but also has long-term implications for the country’s infrastructure and economic growth.
These accomplishments, he noted, laid a solid foundation for the country’s future development, and he highlighted some of the projects undertaken by the current administration in healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
Vice President Bawumia emphasised that these projects were performed in line with need-based assessment and are benefiting many communities around Ghana.
“We have done over 200 projects in the area of Zongo Development across all the zongos in the country. You look at our investment in technical and vocational education, over GH¢6 billion in the last seven years,” he said.
“The highest investment in TVET by any government in the Fourth Republic, and we’ve made technical and vocational education also free in that context.
“You see, in terms of our development authority, there are 1,609 projects completed. And under the Northern Development Authority, it has also completed over 304 projects so far, and so we are not talking about guinea fowl projects, but real projects,” Dr. Bawumia snapped.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke