The opposition National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Honorable Mahama Ayariga has criticized the Vice President and the New Patriotic Party flagbearer for the 2024 general elections, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for failing to deliver better economic reforms for the country despite his famous lectures which he used to tout his competences whiles in opposition.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on the 2024 Budget Statement and Economic Policy that was presented by the Finance Minister, Mr Ken-Ofori Atta, the Bawku Central Member of Parliament indicated that the country’s economy is in its worst shape despite the countless promises and assurances that the Vice President told Ghanaians about the New Patriotic Party administration capacity to transform the country’s economy.
“The key policies proposals that the NPP promised Ghanaians are adequately captured in a series of lectures that were delivered from 2014 to 2016 and they were delivered by one Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who at one point was a visiting professor of Economic Governance Central City College. One was restoring the value of the cedi and the other was the state of the economy; a foundation of concrete or straw while the other was the IMF bailout; will the anchor hold?
“These were the key lecturers delivered by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who made a lot of promises to Ghanaians, seven years down the line Mr Speaker after the Vice President headed the Economic Management of the NPP administration, we have the opportunity to evaluate his promises vis-a-vis the actual deliveries”.
Mahama Ayariga, MP Bawku Central
Comparison of Ghana’s Economic Performances With Francophone Countries
Furthermore, the Bawku Central lawmaker further refuted claims by the Majority Caucus in Parliament suggesting that it is wrong for the Minority Caucus in Parliament to compare Ghana’s finances and economic conditions with its neighbouring Francophone countries.
According to him, the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia during the delivery of his lectures on the country’s economy and finances in opposition constantly compared the country’s performances with the Francophone countries, hence it would be untenable for the Majority Caucus to make such an argument.
“Mr Speaker Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in his lecturers, The Value of the Cedi page 8 in 2016 asked Ghanaians to compare our economy to the Francophone countries. Go to his lectures you would find them, it is there; so I get surprised that all of a sudden it has become unacceptable to compare the finances of the Republic of Ghana with the finances of the Francophone countries.
“The Vice President indicated clearly that CFA countries such as Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Mali, Togo etc have attained relative exchange rate stability which was underpinned by the fixed exchange rate arrangement with French Franc and Europe. According to him between 1999 and March 2014 the CFA Franc had appreciated cumulatively by 19% against the US Dollar and compared the performance of the cedi with the CFA Franc at the time when he was delivering his lectures”.
Mahama Ayariga, MP Bawku Central
Mr Ayariga thus accused the Majority Caucus in Parliament of running away from the good performance of the Francophone countries as compared with the ‘very bad’ performance of the New Patriotic Party in government.
In addition, Mr Ayariga chastised the Finance Minister, Mr Ken-Ofori Atta for inflicting severe hardship on the citizens of Ghana through his poor mismanagement of the county’s economy over the past seven years.
He noted that the Finance Minister, Mr Ken-Ofori Atta refused to adhere all cautions from the Minority Caucus in Parliament and other well-meaning Ghanaians to refrain from excessive borrowing which has plunged the country’s economy into a ‘mess’ leading to a severe hardship on the people of Ghana.
“Mr Speaker, the Finance Minister for seven years has bombarded us with biblical statements taken the name of the Lord in vain and he and his boss, President Akufo-Addo made promises to Ghanaians that they never fulfilled including the promises they made to God to build him a cathedral which also they couldn’t fulfil”.
Mahama Ayariga, MP Bawku Central
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