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You Trust Bawumia at your own Risk – Omane Boamah

justice Togbor

In a recent post on his verified Facebook page, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, director of elections of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called out Vice President Alhaji Bawumia for what he describes as a series of lies and deceptive promises. Dr Boamah argues that Bawumia’s speech, which spanned 73 pages, was filled with falsehoods and failed justifications for the state of the Ghanaian economy. He also accuses Bawumia of making promises solely for the purpose of securing votes. You trust Bawumia at your own risk, He advised.

Dr Boamah asserts that Ghanaians should not take Bawumia seriously, as he has repeatedly proven himself to be a chronic liar without credibility. According to Dr Boamah, polls indicate that Ghanaians do not trust Bawumia, and that former President John Dramani Mahama is winning the upcoming 2024 elections.

The post goes on to highlight Bawumia’s previous lectures on economic theories, in which he promised solutions to the country’s problems. However, Dr Boamah claims that these promises remain unfulfilled and that Bawumia’s economic policies have led to the destruction of the Ghanaian economy, resulting in hardship for its citizens.

The post also provides a list of examples of what Dr Boamah refers to as lies and “419” promises made by Bawumia. These include statements such as “We don’t have to borrow for roads, the money is here” and “We will start constructing roads with concrete instead of asphalt.” Dr Boamah argues that these promises have not been kept and accuses Bawumia of implementing over 40 taxes on Ghanaians, despite promising to move the country from taxation to production.

In response to Bawumia’s recent address to the nation, Dr Boamah accuses him of lying about fixing the power crisis known as “dumsor.” Dr Boamah argues that it was the NDC/Mahama government that successfully addressed the issue, bringing in additional power plants to increase the country’s generation capacity. He cites statements from Bawumia himself, in which he acknowledged that Mahama had fixed dumsor.

Overall, Dr Edward Omane Boamah’s Facebook post criticizes Vice President Alhaji Bawumia for what he perceives as a pattern of lies and deceptive promises. He argues that Bawumia cannot be trusted and calls on Ghanaians to support John Dramani Mahama’s 24-hour economy initiative for well-paying jobs.

Below is the post

Exposing Alhaji Bawumia’s Lies

NB: Vote for John Dramani Mahama’s 24-hour economy initiative for well-paying jobs 👏 👍

  1. Alhaji Bawumia’s 73-page uninspiring speech was a compilation of his usual shameful lies, his failed COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine war justifications for his massive destruction of the Ghanaian economy and deceptive (419) promises calculated for votes and nothing more. Please find attached HE John Dramani Mahama’s policies and promises for the 2024 elections.
  2. Ghanaians do not and must not take Bawumia seriously because he has proven time and again to be a chronic liar and an unrepentant liar. He is totally bereft of credibility. This is why all the polls so far, are showing that Ghanaians don’t trust him. The polls clearly shows HE John Dramani Mahama is winning the 2024 elections ONETOUCH.
  3. While in opposition, Bawumia held several lectures at which he articulated many lofty text book economic theories. He created the false impression that he had the answers to all the problems facing Ghanaians. It was on the basis of these promises that many voted for the NPP thinking that their lives will be transformed.
  • But today all that has turned out to be false. Almost all the lofty promises Bawumia gave Ghanaians remain unfulfilled and the economy he waxed lyrical about has been totally destroyed by him such that today Ghana has become a bankrupt nation, with its attendant socioeconomic hardships and pain for Ghanaians.
  1. Below are selected examples of lies and “419” promises peddled by Bawumia for votes, for which reason he cannot be trusted:
  • “We don’t have to borrow for roads, the money is here. All we need to do is to toll the roads and we will get money to build all the roads we need”- Bawumia in 2016
  • “We are building a brand new harbor for the people of Cape Coast” – Bawumia in 2020
  • “The NPP will move Ghana from Taxation to Production” – Yet today he, as Chairman of the so-called solid Economic Management Team (EMT) has slapped over 40 wicked taxes on Ghanaians.
  • “NDC has resorted to increasing taxes under the economic difficulties they created. An NPP Government will do differently” – Bawumia in 2016
  • “In 18 months of an NPP government, no community in Ghana will have a water or toilet problem” – Bawumia in 2016
  • “We will start constructing roads with concrete instead of asphalt” – Bawumia
  • “We have arrested the depreciating cedi and given the keys to the IGP” – Bawumia
  • “All SHS students will receive free tablets this year, 2023” – Bawumia
  • “We will build Model SHSs in Zongo Communities in each of the sixteen regions country.”

NB: For more examples to show Bawumia is a LIAR and why he cannot be trusted, click on the link below for more of Bawumia’s lies https://thefourthestategh.com/2021/11/03/bawumiaspeaksthese-claims-are-false-misleading/

  1. In his latest uninspiring address to the Nation, the unrepentant liar, Bawumia, peddled a number of lies again to the Ghanaian people. It is important to set the records straight so that the unsuspecting public is not deceived. These lies include:

a.) THE LIE ABOUT FIXING “DUMSOR”

  • On the contrary, the facts show that it was the NDC/Mahama government that fixed DUMSOR.
  • Note that Ghana recorded DUMSOR in 1984, 1997, 2006-2007, before the problem reoccured in 2012, as a result of a disruption of the West African Gas pipeline, which created a power generation deficit.
  • The visionary and experienced Nation Builder, President Mahama accepted responsibility for the problem and promised to fix it. Indeed, by 2016 he had comprehensively fixed DUMSOR and ended load shedding.
  • This he did by bringing in power plants such as Ameri, Karpower and others to increase the country’s generation capacity by over 800 Megawatts.
  • Today, the NPP including Bawumia even blames Mahama for giving Ghana too much power; what they call excess capacity.
  • Indeed, Bawumia himself in March 2016 admitted on Joy FM that Mahama fixed dumsor and said, “Mahama deserves no credit for fixing Dumsor.” See Facebook · Adom TV540+ reactions · 7 years agoAdom TV – Mahama deserves no credit for fixing Dumsor Running mate …
  • Moreover, NPP Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu recently confessed in an interview on Kumasi-based Hello Fm that Mahama fixed DUMSOR. See YouTube · Despite Media3.7K+ views · 1 year agoPrez Mahama Bringing In Thermal Plant To Stop “Dumsor” Laudable …
  • Furthermore, Energy Analyst Nana Poku, who is a former NPP Presidential Aspirant is also on record to have said that Mahama should be given the credit for fixing dumsor. See NDC deserves credit for ending dumsor – Energy Analyst – MyJoyOnline
  • Why then is Bawumia lying that this clueless NPP government fixed dumsor?
  • Alhaji Bawumia’s False claims on Digitalisation

b). THE ONLINE PASSPORT APPLICATION LIE

  • Bawumia’s claim that this government introduced the online passport application system is a lie which must be dismissed in its entirety.
  • On the contrary, the online application system was launched by Hon. Hannah Tetteh, the foreign Minister of the NDC/Mahama government in December 2016. See https://www.modernghana.com/news/744733/online-passport-application-launched-to-ease-process.html
  • The claim that online passport application has eliminated corruption in the passport application process is also false. This claim is completely belied by the recent outburst by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayokor Botchey who as recent as 2023 complained about the corrupt activities of middlemen popularly known as “goro men”. See https://www.myjoyonline.com/foreign-affairs-minister-fumes-sacks-overstaying-officers-at-passport-office-over-suspected-extortion/

c). THE GHANA CARD LIE

  • *Dr. Bawumia deliberately ignored the significant contributions of the NDC/Mahama administration in developing the GhanaCard system to what it is today.
  • It is important to note, that by 2016, the NDC/Mahama administration had:

i. Passed the law that makes the Ghana Card the sole document for identification purposes for any transaction (L.I 2111)

ii. Collected biometric and demographic data on about 16 million Ghanaians

iii. Processed about 4.7 million cards

iv. Distributed about 900,000 cards

v. Procured 9 million blank cards

  • Upon assumption of office in 2017, Dr. Bawumia constituted a three-man committee headed by Prof. Ken Attafuah, to review the contract and implementation of the Ghana Card system.
  • The committee established the facts enumerated above which is contained on page 1 of the report and recommended the use of the existing database to continue from where the NDC left off.
  • Indeed, the NIA boss Prof. Ken Attafuah told Parliament that the contract that was signed by the NDC/Mahama administration with the Margins Group, is the same contract that is being implemented today.
  • Clearly, this government only came to continue the implementation of a system that had already been developed by the NDC/Mahama government, as a continuation of what was started under President Kuffour and continued by President Mills of blessed memory. The Ghana card credit must therefore be shared by all successive governments who have contributed to where we are today. Note that Bawumia does not even credit his boss, Akufo-Addo…

d.) THE MOBILE MONEY INTEROPERABILITY LIE

  • It is not true that Bawumia introduced MOMO interoperability.
  • On the contrary, the first MOMO interoperability system contract was awarded to a company known as SIBTON by the Bank of Ghana in 2016 under the visionary NDC/Mahama government.
  • Bawumia only came to cancel this Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract under false pretenses and awarded a new contract to his crony company.
  • The claim by Bawumia that the SIBTON contract was inflated by GHS4.6 billion is a lie. It was a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) project. Government was not going to spend a pesewa on it. Rather, the company was going to charge the normal user fees which was projected to be GHS4.6 billion over a 15-year period as their gross revenue, inclusive of their setup and operating cost.
  • Even before this BOT interoperability project, Ghanaians could send MOMO across networks through the TOKEN system that the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlements System (GhIPSS) Limited had provided. Remember the TOKEN MOMO SYSTEM?
  • Clearly, even before this government took office, MOMO interoperability had been long conceived and initiated. A contract had been signed to that effect. Bawumia should stop the lies.

e). THE FIBRE OPTIC BACKBONE LIE

  • Bawumia’s claim that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has constructed more fibre optic network than any other government in the history of Ghana is a barefaced lie.
  • Bawumia is only boasting about merely issuing licenses to private companies who have used their own recourses to build fiber cables. Merely issuing licenses to private IT companies to build fiber is not an achievement at all.
  • The NPP comes no where close to John Mahama’s record relative to fiber optics. The facts as contained in the Greenbook show that the NDC/Mahama administration constructed:
  • Over 900km of rural fibre optic backbone, connecting 120 communities in all, from Ho to Bawku with a link from Yendi to Tamale.

NB: This fiber network according to the NPP’s own minister for communications, Ursula Owusu is the biggest telephone infrastructure on which all government digitalization efforts are run. See https://www.businessworldghana.com/govt-complete-fibre-optic-project-2020-minister/

  • NDC also built a 300km metro fibre optic network within the Tema- Accra enclave that offers free Wi-Fi and internet services to the public and institutions.
  • Mahama also built the state-owned 4G LTE network anchored by 119 base stations across the country, on which the GOTA phone runs.
  • NDC also built the largest and most modern Tier 3 – six hundred (600) Rackspace Data Centre in West Africa, with a forty-five (45) Rackspace backup facility at the KNUST.
  • NDC also established Ghana’s first Grade A, plug-and-play ICT facility, the Accra Digital Centre, to cater for the needs of entities engaged in Business Process Outsourcing and other ICT-related services. It was envisaged to run a 24-hour economy. It should have employed at least ten thousand (10,000) Ghanaians by now.
  • How can Bawumia compare licensing private entities laying fibre to actual NDC government investment in the laying of altogether over 1,500km fibre optic cable, and all the other projects and systems enumerated above?

f.) THE DIGITAL APPLICATIONS LIE

  • on Digital applications, the NDC under the multi-million dollar World Bank E-transform project, provided funding for the E-Government, E-Justice, E-Parliament, E-Procurement, E-Education, M-Health, i-Hubs etc. projects. This was part of Mahama’s vision to enhance efficiency and timeliness in the delivery of public services for the benefit of the public and businesses.
  • NDC also implemented the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System, popularly known as GIFMIS. This is a digital budget management platform, which is the system still in use by the Ministry of Finance.
  • Almost all the digital applications Bawumia is boasting about today were first introduced on the Eservices.gov.gh platform under the E-Commerce program. epay.gov.gh was built to offer digital payment services (credit/debit card, MOMO, cheques etc.) to the Eservices.gov.gh platform. Evidence of this can be found on the last page of the Greenbook published in 2015. The automation and digitization of processes at DVLA, GRA, AMA, NHIS etc. were all on this platform.
  • Dishonest Bawumia simply changed the name of Eservices.gov.gh to Ghana.gov.gh.

g.) THE EMPTY COFFERS LIE

  • The claim that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government inherited empty coffers and that President Mahama said that the meat was down to the bone in 2016 is also FALSE. The statement was not made in 2016 as falsely claimed by Bawumia.
  • This statement was made in reference to revenue shortfall due to the huge expenditures on implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure in 2013. This was at a time that 75% of total tax revenue was spent on salaries following the implementation of Single Spine – The statement was not made in 2016 as falsely claimed by Bawumia.
  • Indeed, the Ghanaian economy both in 2013 and 2016 was way better than it is today.
  • What type of economy did the NPP and Bawumia inherit in 2016?

2016 Economic indicators

  • Budget deficit – 6.1% (it rose to 15% in 2020 and came down to 12% by 2022)
  • Growth – 3.6 (GDP growth for 2023 was 1.5%)
  • Debt-to-GDP – 57% (it rose to 104% in 2022 leading to Ghana’s embarrassing debt default and credit rating downgrades to junk status)
  • Inflation – 15.4% (Inflation for December 2023 was 23%). This is after it hit 54% in December 2022 pushing over 800,000 Ghanaians into poverty according the World Bank.
  • Unemployment– 8.4% (today it is 14%)
  • Food inflation – 8.7% (today it is 28.7%)
  • Average lending rates – 26% (today it is over 32%, the highest in Africa for two consecutive years)
  • The Industry sector which grew by 4.3% in 2016, grew by negative 1.2% in 2023.
  • The manufacturing sector that grew by 7.9% in 2016, grew by negative 1.0
  • The construction sector which grew by 8.4% in 2016, grew by negative 5% in 2023.
  • Mahama also bequeathed to Bawumia $250 million in the Sinking Fund for the repayment of the remainder of the first Eurobond ($750 million) Ghana contracted under Kufour.
  • $270 million in the Mahama initiated Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF)
  • $250 million – in the Stabilization Fund which the government fell on when COVID broke in 2020.
  • 969,000 metric tonnes of cocoa production. Today cocoa production has declined to below 500,000mt
  • Three (3) active oil producing fields. Note that, John Mahama had access to revenue from only one oil field. Bawumia has had revenue from 3 oil fields because Mahama added two more oil fields (TEN and Sankofa) before he left office.
  • $637 million of the $937 million IMF deal was drawn down by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.

NB: all the economic matrices we handed over to Bawumia in 2016 to manage, have totally deteriorated and worsened leading to unbearable hardships. Bawumia has been the Head of the Economic Management Team for the last 7 years. He has been responsible for the economy, hence, the mess we find ourselves in. Ghanaians can’t trust him with the economy again given his abysmal performance.

h.) THE 2.1 MILLION JOBS LIE

  • The claim by Bawumia that this government has created 2.1 million jobs is a figment of Bawumia’s own imagination. That claim cements Bawumia’s reputation as a chronic pathological liar who has no shame.
  • February 2021 – Employment Minister, Ignatius Baffour Awuah claimed NPP had created 3 million jobs. See https://thebftonline.com/2021/02/18/over-3m-jobs-created-in-akufo-addo-first-term-ignatius-baffour-awuah/
  • 16th September 2020 – Same Employment Minister, Ignatius Baffour Awuah claimed they had created 5.3 million jobs. See https://www.myjoyonline.com/government-has-created-5-3m-jobs-employment-and-labour-relations-minister/
  • 27th April, 2023 – Bawumia claimed that they have created 2.2 million jobs
  • Now 7th February, 2024 – Bawumia claims they have created 2.1 million jobs
  • The question, which of these figures must we believe? HOW COME THE 5.3 MILLION JOBS CEATED IN 2020 DROPPED TO 2.1 MILLION IN 2024? The job numbers keep changing and falling at every turn, depending on who is speaking. It is obvious that these figures are mere conjectures and not borne out by the facts.
  • Again, how come the unemployment situation in Ghana keeps getting worse by the day? In spite of all their so-called flagship initiatives like NABCO, YouthStart etc, unemployment which stood at 8.4% in 2016, is today a staggering 14%.
  • According to the Ghana Living Standards Survey 7, page 89, the number of unemployed people in Ghana stood at 1,27,594 in 2020. Again, the 2021 National Population and Housing Census put the number of unemployed people in Ghana at 1,551,118. If Bawumia’s claim of creating 2.1 million jobs is true, this government should have eradicated unemployment by now. Bawumia is simply a liar who should not be taken serious. i.) THE CORRUPTION LIE
  • The claim by Bawumia that he is not corrupt must be treated with contempt.
  • Bawumia’s role in the stinking PDS scandal, in which he personally watered down the requirement of a bank guarantee to an insurance guarantee, and changed it from a condition precedent to a condition subsequent shows he is corrupt.
  • All this was done by him to aid his cronies, some of whom are mere barbers, to expropriate the over GHS20 billion worth of assets of the ECG for themselves.
  • Ghana lost $2 billion dollars as a result of this scandal according to the IEA. What is even sad is that till date, electricity bills totaling GHS1.5 billion that Ghanaians paid to PDS has not been refunded to the state.
  • Bawumia must understand that unlike President Akufo-Addo, Bawumia has no immunity after leaving office and as such, he will be held liable and accountable by the government of President Mahama in 2025, for his role in the PDS scandal.
  • The stolen rice scandal in which Bawumia’s Director of Administration (James Keck Osei), under the instructions of Bawumia attempted to use the Office of the Vice President to take over 10,000 bags of rice imported into the country by a private business man for Bawumia’s Ramadan donation.
  • As we speak, the OSP is in court prosecuting the said Staffer of Bawumia who continues to work with him even to this day.
  • Bawumia was named in the Anas Number 12 investigations by Kwesi Nyantakyi and by Charles Adu Boahen in the Galamsey Fraud documentary as a collector, arranger, fixer and receiver of “appearance fees” (bribes).
  • Think about the millions of cedis Bawumia spent on his presidential bid and the huge bribes he paid to NPP delegates across the country to buy votes.
  • Bawumia is very selfish and not selfless as he claims. He has appointed his brother in law, Abu Ramadan as Deputy Director of NADMO and his father in law as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, even though they are both of the PNC stock. Bawumia has also made his direct sister, the head of the Northern Development Authority under whose watch 400 tricycles vanished into thin air. Bawumia has also made his direct brother, Mumuni Bawumia the Technical Advisor to the Minister of the Interior.

THE SO-CALLED BOLD VISION (DECEPTIVE “419” PROMISES)

  • Bawumia spoke like an opposition leader in government and actually sought to steal most of the policy initiatives and promises announced by H.E John Dramani Mahama.
  • His promise to scrap ex-gratia, and embark on constitutional reforms, is just a copycat of Mahama’s promises. It is too late for visionless Bawumia to steal John Mahama’s policies.
  • Furthermore, his promise to scrap the E-levy, VAT on electricity, the Emission tax etc. goes to highlight how useless Bawumia is. As Chairman of the EMT, taxes like the E-levy, emission tax, covid-19 levy, sanitation tax etc., are all his brainchild. He should scrap all these taxes now! This is because he has the power to do so.
  • It is interesting to note, that some of these taxes, like VAT on electricity etc. are part of the IMF program this government signed on. The IMF negotiations were led by Bawumia and all these taxes were agreed to by him.
  • Therefore, he does not intend to scrap these taxes. He is only out to lie and insult the intelligence of Ghanaians. Bawumia cannot keep taking Ghanaians for granted.
  • On the E-levy, Bawumia promised in August 2020 that momo is mainly for the poor hence should not be taxed. See https://thebftonline.com/2020/08/26/momo-tax-will-discourage-digitisation-affect-the-poor-bawumia/
  • Yet, after winning power he turned around to impose the E-levy. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah was sits in Cabinet, told Ghanaians that Bawumia was instrumental in drafting the E-levy law. https://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/politics/politics/202204/464283.php
  • John Boadu, then NPP General Secretary who sits in Cabinet, also said that Bawumia fully supports the E-Levy. How can Bawumia expect Ghanaians to believe that he will scrap E-levy?
  • What happened to his promise to move us from Taxation to Production? What about all the many lofty promises he made in 2016 and 2020?
  • Bawumia promised to deliver free tablets to all SHS students in 2023 and failed to do so. See https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/All-SHS-students-to-receive-free-tablets-this-year-Bawumia-1697240

Today, he has come again promising one laptop, one tertiary student. Liar!

  • If he failed to fulfill all these mouthwatering promises, why should Ghanaians believe him again?

THE RIDICULOUS EXCUSES

  • Success has many fathers but failure is an orphan indeed!.
  • Bawumia is desperately trying to distance himself from the economic mess he has created, because he knows that he has been a monumental failure in his role as the head of the Economic Management Team. His mismanagement and recklessness is the reason why Ghanaians are suffering today.
  • His claim that he was a mere mate, and just an advisor is a lie that must be totally rejected, for the following reasons:
  • While in opposition, Nana Addo told Ghanaians that he appointed Bawumia as his Running Mate because he was a brilliant economist who could manage and transform the economy. Therefore, Bawumia was made Running Mate mainly because of his supposed economic prowess. This is why he headlined all NPP lectures and fora in opposition.
  • In government, Bawumia has been Head of the Economic Management Team (EMT), which is the component of Cabinet, responsible for Economic Management. The EMT is not an advisory body as claimed by Bawumia but rather a management body as the name suggests. The finance minister, the governor of the Bank of Ghana, Trade Minister, Agric minister etc. are all part of this Economic Management Team, which Bawumia their boss, chairs.
  • Bawumia has headlined all Economic lectures, pressers and programs of the government. He even outdoor the members of the EMT to the public; remember the infamous “what a solid team” comment?
  • In 2018 SONA, President Akufo-Addo extolled the stellar leadership of Bawumia of the EMT and gave him credit for turning the economy around; when in reality the effect of Mahama’s policies was what was propelling the economy then.
  • Then Senior Minister Osafo Marfo also attributed all government’s economic successes to Bawumia’s “hard work and leadership”.
  • Bawumia has appropriated all the key achievements of this government such as their so-called digitalization programs, drone medical delivery system, agenda 111, 1 constituency 1 ambulance etc.
  • Therefore, Bawumia cannot take the credit and give the mess to Akufo-Addo. Bawumia cannot approbate and reprobate. Ghanaians will not accept this nauseating hypocrisy and dishonesty.
  • For the records, a vice President is not a MERE MATE BUT AN ASSISTANT DRIVER OR SECOND DRIVER. He is elected on the same ticket as the President. In the absence of the President, Bawumia acts as President. The two of them therefore have collective responsibility for the mandate given them and collective liability for the failings of their government.
  • Again, Bawumia on his own website claims that he is the chair of the EMT responsible for shaping government policies and guiding the implementation of government policies. That clearly is not a mere advisory role.
  • Lastly, recall that Bawumia in opposition directed 170 questions to then Vice President, Amissah Arthur who was head of the EMT at the time. If Vice Presidents are mere mates and advisors, why did Bawumia direct his 170 questions to Amissah Arthur? Hypocrisy at its apogee!
  • It is an incontrovertible fact that Bawumia, is responsible for the unprecedented economic mess Ghanaians are facing now. He and Akufo-Addo are siamese twins bounded by incompetence and corruption. No amount of political subterfuge or lies can change this fact.

Facts and figures compiled by the NDC NCB-HQ
NCO

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