“The total debt of Ghana as I stand today from independence is $24 billion. How could this government have borrowed $37 billion? Does it make mathematical sense to you?” he asked.
“We must tell the people the truth. The thing is you can’t lie your way into power,” he added.
President Mahama was speaking in an interview on TV3 Monday.
Power crisis
The President described the power crisis that confronted the nation as the biggest challenge his government faced.
He said with the country now relying mostly on thermal generation, the increase in tariffs was expected.
Day SHS
On the 200 day senior high schools he promised to build, he said 123 had been given on contract, with four already inaugurated, while 10 others were ready for inauguration, and promised that everything would be done to complete all the works on contract.
Gender balance
He said he was interested in appointing more women into his administration but indicated that there had been a few instances when the turbulent political environment had forced some women to refuse appointments offered them.
Challenge
President Mahama threw a challenge to the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for a debate ahead of this year’s general election.
He said Nana Akufo-Addo had made many “contentious statements” and he was ready, “even today”, to debate him.
“Indeed, he has made a lot of contentious statements that I would have wished that you had him here so that we would debate those issues. I am willing, even this afternoon, if Nana presented himself, to take him on all those contentious statements that he’s made,” he said.
On the wider presidential debates that preceded the elections, President Mahama stated that he would act on what his party would say.
“Our parties are involved in agreeing the format of the debate. I’m sure that the NDC, at the appropriate time if they are invited to debate, will have to take a decision on whether they feel comfortable with whoever is organising the debate and all that,” he said.
Campaign
Mr Mahama hinted that his campaign team for the election would soon be announced.
Besides, the party was working on the manifesto for the election.
“The campaign this year is going to try and showcase to the Ghanaian people what we’ve been doing and how we can continue to build on what we’ve been doing. So it is going to be evidence-based campaign,” he said.
Independence brochure
On the error-infested 59th independence anniversary brochure, the President described it as unfortunate, as the errors were avoidable.
That notwithstanding, he said, the development did not take the shine off the anniversary.
He said he and the Kenyan President had gone through the brochure and Mr Kenyatta had not indicated that he had noticed the errors
On the dismissal of the acting Director of the Information Services Department (ISD), the President said it was his personal decision.
Even then, the President expected the acting director to have consulted the chairman of the anniversary planning committee when he (the director) detected the errors in the brochure hours before the event started.
He also had issues with those who claimed his speech at the parade was empty.
“I guess they don’t understand the importance of the Independence Day speech,” he said.
He said those who criticised him for the speech probably had their own motives for that.
“Maybe they might have their motive for saying that, but I have delivered about three similar speeches and none had been described as empty,” he added.
(Selorm) | 
(Nana Kwesi)