Be man enough to face me in a one-on-one debate – Bawumia replies to Mahama's 5 questions

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Presidential Candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has issued a counter-response to recent questions directed at him by John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Instead of directly answering Mahama’s queries, Dr. Bawumia presented a list of 50 questions of his own, aimed at scrutinising Mahama’s track record as a former president and inviting him to a public debate.

Framing this as an opportunity for a thorough public assessment, Dr. Bawumia suggested that a direct debate would allow Ghanaians to fairly evaluate each candidate's policies, achievements, and leadership potential. “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 remarked.

Dr. Bawumia characterised Mahama’s initial questions as flimsy and criticised his opponent’s reluctance to engage in an open debate. The questions posed by Dr. Bawumia span topics such as economic management, social welfare initiatives, infrastructure projects, and digitalisation efforts, providing a platform to compare each candidate’s contributions.

The topics raised in Bawumia’s questions reflect criticisms of Mahama’s previous tenure. These include concerns over:

• Economic challenges during the energy crisis, popularly known as “dumsor.”
• The cancellation of nursing and teacher training allowances.
• Efforts to combat corruption, financial inclusion measures, and healthcare support.
• Infrastructure developments, including road and airport construction, healthcare facilities, and other public projects.

Highlighting policies he claims to have championed, such as Free SHS, One Constituency One Ambulance, the Ghanacard initiative, mobile money interoperability, and programmes like Agenda 111 and the Zongo Development Fund, Dr. Bawumia contrasted these with Mahama’s term, challenging Mahama’s administration on campaign promises and efforts to tackle unemployment, healthcare access, and educational support.

In a pointed critique, Dr. Bawumia questioned Mahama’s opposition to the Free SHS initiative and his stance on agriculture, infrastructure, and industrial growth, arguing that these areas had stagnated under the NDC. By emphasising the advancements he claims the NPP has achieved, Bawumia’s questions underscore his view that a debate would offer Ghanaians a head-to-head comparison of both candidates’ achievements and visions.

With election season heating up, this exchange has escalated tensions, particularly as Dr. Bawumia intensifies his calls for a direct debate. He contends that such an event would provide a clearer understanding of each candidate's goals and allow the public to make an informed choice.

See Bawumia's 50 questions below:

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 your 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 the 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?

41. What measures did your government implement to address the problem that people have in paying rent 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 tertiary 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?

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