Accept responsibility for messy economy – Mahama slams Akufo-Addo

The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama, has lambasted President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for refusing to accept responsibility for the country’s economic crisis.

He further took a dig at the President for failing to cut down on expenditure by reducing the size of his government which is having dire consequences on the economy.

The government has blamed the country’s economic downturn on the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Delivering his acceptance speech as flagbearer of the NDC at UDS in Tamale on May 15, former President Mahama said the NDC will not allow the President to hold the progress of the country into reverse gear.

Mr. Mahama slammed, “The NPP government has blatantly mismanaged the economy, and we cannot allow them to continue to hold the progress of the country into reverse gear. Ghana is not for a few people alone, Ghana is for all of us and generations yet unborn. We must rise like the phoenix, rising from the ashes, renewed, reformed and liberating ourselves from this misrule on December 7, 2024. And this is why I’m running for the presidency. This is why you voted massively for me on Saturday, May 13, 2023.

“I have proposed a raft of measures and referred the government to our NDC 2020 manifesto for policy alternatives. These measures still apply today because we are neck-deep in an economic crisis. Government must take responsibility for this messy economy, arising from its reckless borrowing and mismanagement of the country”.

He promised to set up a standardised limit for public borrowing when voted into power in the 2024 general elections.

“My government when voted into office, I will set a standardised limit for public borrowing. Government has refused to cut down on expenditure by reducing the size of government. And adjusting compensation and allowances of appointees and profligate expenditure. And continues to recklessly overspend. Recently he appointed CEO for funerals and mortuaries,” Mr. Mahama hit hard at President Akufo-Addo.

Mr. Mahama secured a landslide victory at the just-ended primaries of the party.

John Mahama, the one-term president, failed in his bid for the presidency in the 2016 and 2020 general elections.

During the NDC’s primaries held on Saturday, May 13, 2023, Mr. Mahama swept 297,603 (98.9%) of the total valid votes emerging as the flagbearer-elect of the NDC.

His contender Kojo Bonsu managed to poll 3,181 (1.1%) votes.

Declaration of results by the Electoral Commission’s returning officer was done in the wee hours of Sunday, May 14.

He went into the contest with former Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor and former Kumasi Mayor, Kojo Bonsu.

However, Dr. Duffuor chickened out of the race after claiming concerns he raised about discrepancies with the party’s electoral roll were unresolved.