The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, former President John Dramani Mahama has responded pointedly to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s recent release of fifty questions directed at him, criticizing the Vice President for sidestepping his earlier questions on Ghana’s struggling economy.
In a fiery statement, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, challenged Dr Bawumia’s approach, likening his questions to rote nursery rhymes rather than genuine engagement on pressing economic issues.
“In nursery school, we used to learn what they call nursery rhymes. You just have to learn it by heart. Even when you’re sleeping, you should be able to repeat it. So if you remember, blaa blaa black sheep, have you any wool? Then we had Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, etc.
“I woke up this morning and I saw fifty questions being posed to me by the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and it looks like our Vice President has just learned those things in the fifty questions the way we used to learn in nursery school”.
Former President John Dramani Mahama, NDC Flagbearer
Former President Mahama, who has consistently voiced concerns about the economic direction under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, expressed disappointment that Dr. Bawumia’s questions focused on infrastructure rather than on addressing the country’s deepening economic crisis.
“I asked you five simple questions about the economy. That’s all. These simple questions that I just want you to answer, and he went on to respond with ‘How many compost plants did I build while in office?’ and ‘How many things did I build while in office?’ That is not what the issue is in Ghana today.”
Former President John Dramani Mahama, NDC Flagbearer
Ghana’s Economy, the Centre of December 7 Elections
Drawing on an iconic phrase from American political history, former President Mahama underscored that the upcoming election would centre on economic matters, as it did in the 1992 U.S. presidential election between Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush Senior.
“In 1992, there was an election in America between Bill Clinton and George Bush Senior. At that time, the American economy was in recession – the way Ghana’s economy is in crisis today. People were talking about immigration, talking about all kinds of useless things. Do you know what the Clinton people said? It is about the economy, stupid.”
Former President John Dramani Mahama, NDC Flagbearer
Reiterating that his own approach was similarly direct, former Mahama declared, “This election is about the economy…, it’s not about all those other useless things about who built, or how many compost plants built. Answer the five simple questions, and you can’t hide behind the debates because you don’t need a debate to answer those five questions.”
Former President Mahama further slammed Dr Bawumia’s avoidance of economic issues, reminding the Vice President of the extensive questions he had posed to former Vice President Dr Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur Bekoe without requiring a debate.
“When you asked Amissah-Arthur, my former late Vice President, those 170 questions, you did not agree for him to go and debate with you before he answered them,” Mahama charged., asserting that “Ghanaians are asking only five simple questions on the economy and President Akufo-Addo too – I have given him only two questions, he should answer them immediately.”
The NDC Flagbearer also expressed incredulity that Dr Bawumia’s fifty questions noticeably skirted economic issues.
“Surprisingly, if you look at the fifty questions he asked me, he skillfully avoided the economy. There is nothing about the economy in those fifty questions he asked. And that’s why I gave you the fifth question.
‘Why are you running away from the economy? Because you were brought in to fix the economy. The economy is in a terrible state. Just answer the five questions I have asked you on behalf of the people of Ghana.”
Former President John Dramani Mahama, NDC Flagbearer
Confident in the NDC’s prospects in the upcoming election, former President John Dramani Mahama ended his response by asserting that the current economic woes under the NPP administration had solidified his party’s path to victory.
“The NDC is going to win this election. There’s no doubt about it”, he ended signalling his intent to hold the NPP accountable for perceived economic mismanagement.
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