The Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, Isaac Adongo, has told the Vice President and flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, that John Dramani Mahama will not honour his calls for a presidential debate.
Mr. Adongo says the Vice President has nothing to tell Ghanaians than to blame the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine for his government’s abysmal performance.
In a post by the Bolgatanga Central lawmaker Monday, July 15, 2024, Mr. Adongo indicated that Dr. Bawumia is seeking a debate to capitalise on the popularity of the former President to resurrect his dying political career.
“You have nothing of value to add in any debate, except to give us pseudo scientific origins of COVID and the history of relationship between Ukraine and Russia! No, we don’t want to hear any more excuses about COVID and Ukraine! Let’s be serious, ok.
“You cannot expect to ride on JM’s high stock to resurrect your dying political career marked by failed economic management, debt distress, an insolvent BoG, record depreciation of the Cedi, cost of living crisis, and a fiscal quagmire,” he stated.
His comments come on the back of calls by the Vice President and his campaign team for a debate between himself and John Dramani Mahama, flag bearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress.
Find below his full circular:
Did Bawumia say he wants a Debate with JM on the Economy?
I was shocked to hear that Dr Bawumia (the missing-in-action economist) who has been an avowed enemy of good economic management practices for 8 years, who has been trying strenuously to distance himself from their “Ghana’s worst economic management record in the 4th Republic”, who is claiming now that he was just a driver’s mate to his boss, the most reckless driver on the face of earth, suddenly now in the 8th year of their unfortunately embarrassing tenure has the effrontery to accuse someone with a far better record than them of being empty?
For 8 years, you Dr. Bawumia failed spectacularly in managing the well performing economy your incompetent team inherited.
You have been a derelict leader, doing a part time job for more than 2 years now, gallivanting around the country on holiday chasing a quixotic presidency!
Do you need a sudden debate to do your actual job of managing the economy well, for which the good people of Ghana have been paying you handsomely for years? You actually owe the good people of Ghana a refund for doing part time work!
Do you need a debate to reverse the 54% depreciation in the value of the Cedi, the frightening fiscal position your government has plunged us in, the record of three years of consecutive negative double-digit fiscal balance, the record high inflation rates and the worst cost of living crisis our people are facing?
Are you asking for a debate to update Ghanaians that the Cedi is now selling at GHC16 to the dollar or that a litre of diesel is GHC15 today? Suffering Ghanaians are feeling the effects of your very poor leadership everyday.
Or you want to officially inform Ghanaians that tomatoes are now sold in pieces not ‘olonka‘ because families can’t afford tomatoes in volumes anymore? Are you not the one dancing on stages around the country, celebrating without any sobriety, when Ghanaian businesses are collapsing and families have been forced by circumstances to change the meal plans to 1/2-1-0?
You have nothing of value to add in any debate, except to give us pseudo scientific origins of COVID and the history of relationship between Ukraine and Russia! No, we don’t want to hear any more excuses about COVID and Ukraine! Let’s be serious, ok.
Can you ever defend an economic record of Ghana going into debt distress, a historic domestic and external debt restructuring, and an embarrassing junk debt ratings which has tainted the name of our country as a welfare laughing stock globally? You don’t appreciate the mess you people have caused. What are you coming to say on a debate stage? Laugh, smile and lie extensively? Let’s be serious.
JM is not in the business of turning around the failed careers of visionless and uncaring political leaders, empty braggarts and lying champions.
If you believe in your leadership mettle, go and account to the good people of Ghana extempo through the press.
You cannot expect to ride on JM’s high stock to resurrect your dying political career marked by failed economic management, debt distress, an insolvent BoG, record depreciation of the Cedi, cost of living crisis, and a fiscal quagmire.
Go and do a meet the press to test your smoothness level.
Your so called driver Akufo-Addo run away from the press and debate in 2020 because he had little positive to stand on. Unfortunately, four years later, you and him have magnified your monumental failures in managing our economy. So what has changed for you to come begging for a debate? There are several other avenues such as a meet the press for you to go and account for your monumental failures.
Go and be spewing your age-old excuses about Ukraine, and you would understand the wrath of 850,000 formerly middle- class Ghanaians who have been impoverished by your irresponsible leadership. Please leave JM out of your messy and disgraceful record.
Source:onuaonline.com