Bawumia criticises Mahama over economic claims  

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has challenged former President John Mahama’s assessment of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, branding his claims as lacking a grasp of economic data.

Dr. Bawumia’s remarks came during an address to supporters in the Krowor Constituency of the Greater Accra Region, where he detailed what he called the NPP’s superior performance across various sectors.  

Responding to Mr. Mahama’s social media posts labelling the current administration as a “failed government,” Dr. Bawumia dismissed the criticisms as baseless, stating, “He either does not read the data or does not understand it.”

Comparing economic performance  

Dr. Bawumia outlined comparative statistics across economic indicators, asserting that the NPP has outperformed the Mahama administration in areas such as GDP growth, agriculture, industry, budget deficit, and international reserves. He also highlighted a lower depreciation rate of the cedi under the NPP, despite global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, which he said did not exist during Mahama’s tenure.  

“Under the NDC, the rate of cedi depreciation was 74% without a global crisis. Under the NPP, it is 72% even with a global crisis,” he said, refuting claims that his government has mismanaged the currency.  

Development achievements  

The Vice President touted the NPP’s record in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and digitalisation. From road construction to the introduction of the Ghana Card, mobile money interoperability, and the restoration of teacher and nursing training allowances, he argued that the NPP had achieved more than its predecessor.  

“We have built more roads, airports, hospitals, and schools than him,” Dr. Bawumia asserted, listing a wide range of completed projects. He also highlighted the introduction of flagship policies like Free Senior High School Education and TVET programmes, which he said have transformed access to education.  

“Failures” the NPP avoided  

Turning Mr. Mahama’s “failed government” accusation on its head, Dr. Bawumia sarcastically noted that the NPP has failed to replicate what he described as Mahama’s policy missteps, such as “four years of dumsor,” the cancellation of teacher and nursing training allowances, and the collapse of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

He also took a swipe at the former President’s SADA guinea fowl project, saying, “We have failed in the SADA guinea fowl project. We have failed in collapsing the NHIS. He collapsed it; we resuscitated it.”  

Call for a debate  

Dr. Bawumia concluded by renewing his challenge for a one-on-one debate with Mr Mahama, urging him to “come and debate me, one on one,” to settle the matter of governance records and economic management.  

The Vice President’s remarks are expected to further ignite the political discourse as Ghana inches closer to the 2024 elections.