Don’t Run Away, Debate with Bawumia to Compare Records – Afenyo-Markin Challenges NDC Flagbearer

The Majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament has issued a challenge to former President John Dramani Mahama, urging him to participate in a presidential debate with Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia. The Majority believes that such a debate will allow Ghanaians to evaluate the governance records of both parties.

Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin emphasized the importance of the debate, stating, “Our flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, is ready to debate the issues. We believe the facts can speak for themselves, and the only way to allow Ghanaians to compare and contrast is for us to have a debate.”

“The NDC should not run away from any debate. There should be no excuses. Debate is the only means of determining who is best suited to run the country from 2025.”

Addressing the media in Parliament on Wednesday, July 24, Afenyo-Markin acknowledged that the NPP has not achieved 100% success but maintained that its governance is superior to that of the NDC.

“We are not afraid of the facts and figures because we know the Akufo-Addo government is better than the NDC in governance,” he said.

He defended the government’s performance and questioned the NDC’s ability to offer alternative policies, highlighting several achievements of the current administration. Afenyo-Markin claimed the NDC failed the people of Ghana, noting that the same NDC MPs criticizing the current government were ministers during Mahama’s presidency.

Responding to the Minority’s negative assessment of the 2024 mid-year budget review, Afenyo-Markin cited the expansion of the School Feeding Programme as a key success, with 4 million children now benefiting compared to 1.6 million under the NDC.

He also pointed to improvements in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), asserting that the NDC did nothing to improve it during its eight years in power, leading to its collapse in 2016. The current government, he said, is now spending GH¢6.5 billion on health insurance claims.

Afenyo-Markin also emphasized increased funding for the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP) program, from GH¢49 million under the NDC to GH¢423 million in 2023.

He praised investments in free Senior High School (SHS) education and vocational training, dismissing the NDC’s claims of failure and asserting that the government’s achievements speak for themselves.

He challenged John Mahama, saying, “The former President should not shy away from debating the flagbearer of the NPP. It is the only way for Ghanaians to know who is ready to address the economic challenges.”

The Majority Leader underscored the Vice President’s vision for the country, noting that Mahamudu Bawumia has already outlined his vision for an economy anchored on digitalization. “If the NDC wants to challenge that, the only way to do it is through a debate,” he declared.

Source:expressnewsghana.com