A former Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Ocquaye has described President John Mahama’s calls for a one-on-one debate with the New Patriotic Party(NPP) Presidential Candidate, as an attempt to score cheap political points.
According to him, the period for a debate passed when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) refused to participate the debates organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). On Thursday President Mahama reiterated his calls for a debate with Nana Akufo-Addo, saying it would afford both parties an opportunity to set the record straight on a number of issues including the state of the economy.
President Mahama suggested that the NPP was simply misinforming the electorate with propaganda and his challenge would ensure a statistics based debate on the economy.
But Prof. Ocquaye believes the NDC’s calls for a debate with Nana Addo has intensified because the party wants to divert attention from what he describes as President Mahama’s mismangement of the economy. “ The NDC is trying to take the focus away from their economic mismanagement.They are bringing about the so called debate now because they know they have failed,” he added.
He indicated that a debate at this moment is unnecessary at this crucial time, since the NDC will only reduce it to what he calls “propaganda of the moment.”
He believes the President should rather focus on being accountable to the citizenry .
“The President is going to the North. Let him rather tell the people in the North what happened to the guinea fowls, let him tell the people what happened to the roads and why they built school blocks twice the cost of what MTN built.”
Debate challenge hypocritical
Meanwhile Spokesperson for Nana Addo, Mustapha Hamid has rubbished President John Mahama’s calls for a one-one-one debate with the NPP flagbearer, describing it as hypocritical and insincere rhetoric.
Mr. Hamid argued that if President Mahama was truly serious about debating Nana Akufo-Addo, he would have written an official letter to the NPP challenging the NPP Presidential Candidate to a debate.
He retorted: “Is that how debates are done? If you want to challenge Bukom Banku or Azumah Nelson to a boxing bout, you sit on radio and say I want Bukom Banku for a fight. Is that how it is done?”
“If you want to challenge somebody to a debate, you write to him, the presidential candidate, New Patriotic Party… you write a letter, then you sign it, then it is delivered then we give you a response. Then based on our response you can go to the public and say; I invited them to a debate and they didn’t come.”
Source: citifmonline.com
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DEBATE FOR WHAT? WHAT GHANAIANS NEED AND WANT IS FOR BARAWO MAHAMA AND HIS NDC GANG OF ***barred word*** TO RENDER ACCOUNTS ON SADA, GYEEDA, BUS BRANDING,BRAZIL WORLD CUP, KUMASI AIRPORT RENOVATION,EMBRAER AIRPLANES,WOYOME, OIL MONEY, AND MANY MORE STEALING SCHEMES UNDERTAKEN BY THE MOST CRIMINAL PRESIDENT AND CRIMINAL GOVT GHANA HAS EVER HAD. GHANAMAN, VOTE OUT ATOPAHENE IN DECEMBER 2016!!!
Thanks Prof. for seeing the diabolical intentions of NDC all the time. Keep the HEAT on Mahama. Tell Ghanaians how he has failed. Today he wants this, tomorrow he turn around and say 'I don't want it'. WHAT A PRESIDENT. No wonder he said 'I don't / can't think far'. His vice also saying those who can't think far......Oh NDC! CHANGE IS COMING!
Will the debate put food on our table reduce school fees, solve unemployment,dumsor ,corruption etc,mr president your days are numbered
Tell JDM if he is ready a serial caller is prepared for the debate whenever wherever what is the debate about what he has done what he will do right?
What does the president want to debate about? Is Jane Naana going to bring him the questions as happened in 2012 IEA debates? Apuu! Return to the IEA platform if you're really serious.
be informed that no npp member has made any reference to mahama being Gonja man nor touched on any of the very sensitive issues in our country. that @ nana peter is an NDC hired man to create that confusion in the minds of ghanaianS against the NPP
Please is it necessary to insult the president with your choice of word like donkey Gonja man from the north? NPP, you are your own enemies and you would continue to loose elections not because of economics or policy but because of your lack of respect for certain cultures in Ghana and not understanding the mindset in a multicultural society. in life, there are things that comes before economics, principally faith and culture (ethnicity and tribe). be careful and wise up. learn the spirit and at least the public tolerance and humility exhibited by Kuffour that led him to two electoral victories.
Nana is doing himself a big disservice for such a glorious opportunity, it would be the first time in global political history that a sitting president is offering to debate the leading opposition leader and he is running away. Nana please think through again, from here NDC would now scupper every policy statements to that of lies and propaganda and as a matter of fact , they would be right to do so
Massa; why should Nana Addo waste his time to debate this donkey Jon Bole Mahama fron gonja land in the north the most confused President ever imposed by Justice Atuguba and his merry judges ; when the idea of a debate was initiated Jon Stiller Mahama told Ghanaians he could not debate Nana Addo for obvious reasons ;now things are the kitchen hot for Jon Mahama besides Jon Mahama claims to have laid a good foundation for Ghanaians ; so to me what is his problemm !!!!!!!!; if you have done good development projects why do you need to stand on platform with somebody who have not done anything to debate your achievements ; IT DOES MAKE SENSE !!!!!!!; when the NPP proposed free education ; Jon Mahama told Ghanaians it not be done; he told Ghanaians that nobody can discuss the running of a country with him except Kuffour and Rawlings so why has he decided that he wants to debate Nana Addo because as we all know Nana Addo has never being a President In Ghana and does not know how run a country so why does he want to debate Nana Addo ; besides what about the other candidates in the race ; besides if what Nana Addo is saying constitutes mis-information why do you have to listen to Nana Addo ; afterall Jon Mahama claims to have done good things in development ; SO WHY DO YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO NANA ADFDO ; NOT ALL GHANAIANS ARE STOOOOOPID !!!!!!!!as you may think .
If only Nana Addo knows that he is not misinforming us and want us to VOTE for him then,he should honor the debate by H.E John Mahana to put matters to rest. We Ghanaians want honest leadersbut not liars who will come later on to apologise and give excuses.