Mahama tells Bawumia to Focus on the Economy, Not “Useless” Questions
In a rally at the Savelugu Constituency on Wednesday, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, sharpened his criticisms against Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Presidential Candidate, urging him to focus on addressing Ghana’s pressing economic issues rather than countering with what he termed “useless” questions.
The exchange began when Mr. Mahama raised five critical economic questions directed at Dr. Bawumia, seeking clarity on issues such as the high inflation rate, the depreciating currency, rising national debt, and borrowing from the Bank of Ghana. His questions, which he reiterated at the rally, included:
- Why is the exchange rate now GH¢17 to the dollar?
- Why has Ghana’s debt ballooned from GH¢120 billion to GH¢767 billion over the past eight years?
- Why has inflation surged to 54% under the current administration?
- Why has the government borrowed GH¢42 billion from the Bank of Ghana?
- Why is the administration focusing on digitalisation instead of addressing economic challenges?
Rather than answering these questions directly, Dr. Bawumia responded with 50 counter-questions of his own, which Mr. Mahama dismissed as an attempt to sidestep crucial economic issues. “I woke up this morning and saw 50 questions from him,” Mahama told the crowd, comparing Bawumia’s approach to “memorising poems in primary school” and stating that these counter-questions fail to address the urgent economic concerns of ordinary Ghanaians.
In an effort to underscore the significance of economic stability in national leadership, Mr. Mahama referenced a well-known slogan from the 1992 U.S. presidential election, “It’s the economy, stupid,” popularized by Bill Clinton’s campaign. He argued that the upcoming election should similarly be focused on economic challenges and that sidetracking with irrelevant questions would not resonate with Ghanaians struggling with the effects of inflation, debt, and a weakening currency.
Mr. Mahama’s remarks come at a critical time as both parties ramp up their campaign efforts, with the economy emerging as a central theme.
