I never promised not to borrow – Veep Bawumia

• Posted on August 18, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The office of Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has denied accusations that he; then running mate of the NPP, promised not to borrow when his government comes into office.

The Minority has described as shameful, Dr Bawumia’s new position on borrowing.

Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi said: “It is shameful for Bawumia to say in the past that we don’t need to borrow because we have all the resources here and now saying that we need to borrow and borrow responsibly, that is the problem I have with him. He knows that what he said when he was in opposition as a running mate was meant to deceive the people of Ghana so that he can get the votes, he’s got it now and he is now telling the people that he will borrow.”

However, Dr. Bawumia’s office, in a statement, challenged the Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi, to prove that the Vice President made such a statement.

Read full statement below

Argue on Facts and Not Fabrications

The Office of the Vice President’s attention has been drawn to a statement (on Citi FM on August 16, 2017) attributed to the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon James Klutse Avedzi, accusing the Vice President of doing a U-turn on the issue of borrowing by government. Specifically, the deputy minority leader is reported to have stated that:

“The Vice President . . . while he was the running mate for the NPP was emphatic on the issue about borrowing in Ghana saying that the country need not borrow and that we have the resources here in Ghana and that when they win power they will not borrow”.

The Office of the Vice President would like to state for the record that the above statement attributed to the Vice-President by the deputy minority leader (and subsequently by many NDC communicators) is a complete and utter fabrication. The Vice President’s speeches, lectures and statements on the economy over the years are a matter of public record.

We are therefore challenging the deputy minority leader (and the other NDC communicators) to immediately provide the evidence to back up their claim. They cannot provide any such evidence because the Vice-President has never made such a statement.

To deliberately fabricate statements in an attempt to attack your political opponent is an exercise in desperation and intellectual dishonesty. As politicians, it is important that we elevate the discourse and argue based on facts and not on fabrications and outright lies.

Our advice to them is to go back and take the time to READ the Vice President’s lectures as well as speeches and try to criticize based on the statements contained therein. Ghana deserves much better.

…..Signed……

Frank Agyei-Twum

Director of Communications

Office of the Vice-President