The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency in the Central Region, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has backed calls for a presidential debate between the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and former President John Dramani Mahama, and President Nana Akufo-Addo.
The former president has led calls for a debate with the president ahead of the December 7 elections but President Akufo-Addo has declined.
Addressing the chiefs and people of Ajumako in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam constituency, as part of the NDC presidential candidate’s just ended five-day campaign tour of the Central Region, Dr Forson noted that a debate between the leaders of the two dominant political parties would inform the electorate about the policies, programmes and social interventions of the parties and help them make an informed decision on election day.
“The Akufo-Addo-led administration has since 2017 borrowed GH¢152 billion and it is expected, by the end of the year 2020, the national debt will hit GH¢180 billion on the watch of President Akufo-Addo, the government has also generated revenue internally to the tune of GH¢ 367 billion and the huge revenue envelope the government has had notwithstanding, it has very few development projects to show for how it has spent all the money.
“In spite of receiving less resources than the present government, the Mahama-led administration built roads, hospitals, water and electrification projects, among others, all over the country, that is why I am appealing to President Akufo-Addo to accept the challenge by former President Mahama to come for a debate so that he can properly account for all the money he has borrowed and the internal revenue generated,” Dr Forson stressed.
For his part, Former President Mahama pointed out that time had exposed the lies and deception employed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to win power in the 2016 elections and urged the electorate to vote for him and the NDC parliamentary candidates on December 7 for them to work hard to provide jobs, free primary healthcare and state-sponsored Technical and Vocational Education and Training (T-VET) to equip the youth with employable skills in order to reduce hardships. -Starr FM
