Be a man and debate me’ – Bawumia replies Mahama with 50 questions

In a bold counter-response to questions posed by NDC flagbearer John Dramani Mahama, Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has issued a list of 50 questions challenging Mahama’s leadership record and urging him to face off in a one-on-one-debate.

Dr. Bawumia framed his response as an opportunity for a public evaluation of policies, achievements, and governance records between the two presidential hopefuls.

“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,” Dr. Bawumia stated.

He described Mahama’s initial questions as “flimsy” and questioned Mahama’s avoidance of a direct debate on issues impacting Ghanaians.

Dr. Bawumia’s 50 questions cover a range of issues including economic management, social interventions, digitalization initiatives, and infrastructure. He posed questions on topics such as:

Mahama’s economic policies during the power crisis (“dumsor”) period
Cancellations of training allowances for nurses and teachers
Measures taken to combat corruption and promote financial inclusion
Specific efforts to support critical healthcare services, like ambulance provisions and services for chronic illness patients
Initiatives for digital transformation, such as Ghana’s national identity card program (Ghanacard) and the digital address system
Development projects, including road construction, airport expansion, and health facility upgrades

Dr. Bawumia emphasized policies he claims to have championed, including Free SHS, One Constituency One Ambulance, the Ghanacard, digital property addressing, mobile money interoperability, and agenda-setting programs like Agenda 111 and the Zongo Development Fund. By contrasting these initiatives with Mahama’s term, he challenged Mahama’s past administration on fulfilling campaign promises and addressing systemic issues like unemployment, health access, and educational support.

The Vice President also questioned Mahama’s stance on the Free SHS program, agricultural growth, and infrastructure, accusing the NDC administration of neglecting development projects that he believes the current government has significantly advanced

his exchange has added intensity to the upcoming election landscape, with Bawumia pushing for a debate that he believes will allow Ghanaians to assess each candidate’s vision and performance head-to-head.

Below is Bawumia’s full post

QUESTIONS FOR JOHN MAHAMA
I have just read questions posed to me by former President Mahama. 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. Come for a debate and I can ask the moderators to ask me these five flimsy questions. But I have many more substantive questions for him:

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 

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