Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has reacted strongly to former President John Mahama’s recent questions about his tenure as Vice President.
The Vice President urged former President Mahama to debate him instead of using “flimsy questions.”
This call was triggered by Mahama’s five-question challenge to Dr. Bawumia, similar to the 170 questions he directed at then-Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur before the 2016 election.
In his response, Dr. Bawumia extended a direct invitation to Mr. Mahama., declaring, “I would have thought he would be man enough to face me in a one-on-one debate for the Ghanaian public to assess our respective policies, achievements, and visions. He should not hide behind these flimsy questions to avoid a debate.”
Dr. Bawumia stated that Mahama’s questions were not comparable to the more “substantive” issues he was ready to address, and he presented his own list of 50 questions regarding Mr. Mahama’s record on the economy, infrastructure, and social intervention policies.
“Come for a debate, and I can ask the moderators to ask me these five flimsy questions,” he quipped, challenging Mahama on policies ranging from educational reforms to infrastructure growth under the NDC.
Bawumia’s 50 Questions To Mahama
In his detailed response, Dr. Bawumia scrutinized Mahama’s record in governance, highlighting what he viewed as shortcomings.
From his list, Dr. Bawumia sought clarification on matters such as Mahama’s stance on free education, referencing previous comments that he claimed were against the free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
“Why did you run advertisements against free SHS?” he asked, highlighting the contrasting education policies of the NPP and NDC.
He also questioned Mr Mahama on the challenges of Dumsor under his administration, saying, “If you think your economic management was so good, how come we experienced more than four years of Dumsor under your government?”
In addition to the economy, Dr Bawumia’s questions targeted specific policy reversals such as the cancellation of teacher and nursing training allowances, which the NPP has since restored.
He also questioned Mr. Mahama’s administration regarding its management of social services and infrastructure, urging Mahama to identify “any comprehensive social intervention policy” that was enacted during his time in office.
He also pointed out problems within the banking sector, asking, “Why did the banking system nearly collapse during your administration?”
READ ALSO: Mahama Refuses To Debate Bawumia, Says He’s Not On His Level
Below are the 50 questions:
1. Can you name any broad-based social intervention policy that you implemented in Ghana as President?
2. Why did you run advertisements against free SHS?
3. If you think your economic management was so good how come we experienced more than four years of Dumsor under your government?
4. Why did the banking system almost collapse under your government?
5. Why did you cancel teacher training allowances?
6. Why did you cancel nursing training allowances
7. Why did the National Ambulance Service virtually collapse under your government?
8. Why was your government unable to create even a quarter of the jobs that our government has created?
9. How many nurses, teachers, police officers, immigration officers and service personnel did you recruit as President?
10. Why did you implement the three-month pay policy for teachers under the government?
11. Why did you cancel the car import duty waiver for teachers and nurses?
12. Why was average agricultural growth under your government (2.9%) less than half what it is under our government
13. Why was industry growth under your government lower than what it is under our government?
14. Why was overall GDP growth under your government lower than under our government?
15. Why did your government have no industrial policy for Ghana?
16. Why do you think our government has constructed four times more roads than your government did?
17. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing more hospitals than your government did?
18. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing more schools than your government did?
19. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing more fish landing sites than your government did?
20. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing more courts than your government did?
21. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing more public libraries than your government did?
22. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing more sports facilities than your government did?
23. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing more airports than your government did?
24. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing and equipping more TVET institutions than your government did?
25. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing more interchanges than your government did?
26. Why do you think our government has overseen the provision of more NCA-licensed fibre optic cable than your government did?
27. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing more sanitation facilities than our government did?
28. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing more waste recycling plants than your government did?
29. Why do you think our government has provided 70% more scholarships to students than your government?
30. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing more infrastructure in the Zongo communities than your government did?
31. Why do you think our government has provided more vehicles and equipment to the security services than your government did?
32. Why do you think our government has constructed and is constructing more hospitals than your government did?
33. How come your government was unable to issue any significant amount of the National Identity Card (Ghanacard)?
34. Why was your government unable to deal with the problem of Ghost workers on government payroll?
35. During your period as president only 4% of Ghanaian adults had Tax Identification Numbers. Our government has increased it to 85%. Why were you unable to do similar?
36. Why was your government unable to digitalize the operations at the port to reduce corruption?
37. Why was your government unable to solve the problem of the lack of a functioning Ghana-wide property address system?
38. Why was your government not able to solve the problem of access to financial inclusion like we have?
39. What help did your government provide children suffering from cancer, sickle cell patients and people needing kidney dialysis?
40. Why did you fulfill only 28% of your promises in your 2012 Manifesto?
READ ALSO: Dumsor Is All You’re Known For – Akufo-Addo Jabs Mahama
41. What measures did your government implement to address the problem that people have in paying rent in advance?
42. What did you do to help people who had difficulty in enrolling for or renewing their National health insurance memberships?
43. What did your government do specifically to promote the creative arts and tourism?
44. How did your government address the problem of getting emergency drug, blood and vaccine delivery to remote parts of Ghana in times of emergency?
45. How did your government address the problem of tertiar students who could not access student loans because they could not find guarantors?
46. As Vice-President, I have initiated or championed policies such as One Constituency One Ambulance, Agenda 111, Medical Drones, Zongo Development Fund, E-Pharmacy, Ghanacard, Digital Property Address System, Mobile Money Interoperability, Paperless Ports, No Guarantor Student Loans, Ghana.Gov, Citizens App, Go-Ride, Gold for Oil, Bank of Ghana Gold Purchase Program, District Road Improvement Program (DRIP) etc. ? Can you tell Ghanaians what policies you championed or initiated as Vice-President?
47. Why were you unable to implement Free Technical and Vocational Education as we have done?
48. Why was your government unable to absorb examination registration fees for BECE and WACSSE students?
49. Can you provide one coherent explanation of your 24-hour economy proposal?
50. What specific measures did you implement to combat corruption during your tenure as president?
