Former President John Dramani Mahama formally rounded up his nationwide "Thank You Tour" with a public lecture in Accra on Wednesday night.
In a 14page address that spanned thematic areas on the economy, corruption, youth unemployment, politicisatuon of state agencies, the former president attributed the current hardships to "bad leadership" and "misguided priorities in economic management".
His public lecture, however, would not have been complete without directing a few lines of his address at the Vice-President, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia - believed to be a torn in the flesh of the opposition party - and his recent statement on Digitalization of the Economy.
He accused Dr Bawumia, who is head of the Economic Management Team, of using digitalization to mask up the NPP's poor handling of the economy.
While mocking the Vice President for touting himself as an "economic messiah" who has metamorphosed into an "overnight IT champion", Mr Mahama was emphatic that the former's lectures on digitization can in no way wish away memories of the economic distress Ghanaians are facing.
"No amount of digital propaganda will take away the excruciating hardships Ghanaians are going through. This our country Ghana will be liberated,” ex-president Mahama stated.
Still on the subject of digitalising the economy, the NDC 2020 Flagbearer sought to downplay what the Akufo-Addo led government considers as landmark achievements.
"The recent brouhaha about upweighting the use and application of enhanced computer systems in our workflows, practices and lifestyles is needless. Some have opted to term the drive a digitalisation drive. I am not the type to be taken in by words or huge catchy phrases as I focus on the substance of the programme in terms of its objectives, mode of delivery, outcomes, and impacts at cost effective levels."
"It is quite amusing though, that even as the economy faces these severe challenges requiring urgent action, those who have been responsible for the mess, have attempted to make a fluid transition from failed, self-styled economic messiahs of the very recent past to overnight IT champions," he stated.
To Mr Mahama, the current administration cannot claim all the credit for the digitalisation drive since the groundswork was laid decades ago by successive governments.
"We are suddenly being told that the decades old incremental progress that has been made in the ICT sector due to sound and consistent policy making spanning several governments leading us to a point where they are being leveraged for convenient, efficient and innovative service delivery and transactions, is the brainchild of some people whose record and involvement is at best, very tenuous."
"It bears stating that if the ICT sector has grown in leaps and bounds, then it is down to the hard work of several people who dedicated their lives and efforts towards bringing us thus far," the former president added.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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Hmmm Mr President its ironic you bastardizing the digitalization drive by the NPP government and at the same time seemingly wanting to get credit for mooting the idea. If this is this is the logic then your inconsistency of wanting to hold the government hostage abandonment of your E-blocks is sad. Artists impressions of a proposed plan does not in itself metamorphose into a completed project. Lets give applause when it is due. Sir you can not close the stables when the horses have bolted.
Somebody must tell Mr. Mahama in plan language that he's becoming nauseating and irrelevant, as far as statesmanship is concern. He must cease being reckless and irresponsible in his utterances. Ghanaians still remember vividly his abysmal performance, it's embarrassing and disgraceful how he's under-estimating the impact of digitization/innovation in solving Ghanaian old age problems. A former president staging a come back to power, with all your political experiences, instead of you to package good policies and alternatives and sell them to Ghanaians, you're bastardizing the very state institutions you're seeking to govern. What an irony. Never a again!
From the way he talks and insults everybody these days, it looks like Mahama is becoming a mental case. The results of the 2020 elections and the Supreme Court's several 7-0 and 9-0 decisions have made him depressed and he talks like he is insane. Now he can't sit down a day without insulting someone. He now behaves like a stubborn primary school child. God save Ghana if we had this man as a president a few years back.
Mahama is preparing another defeat for NDC come 2024 elections . All illiterate in Ghana now will NOT vote for NDC just becuase of Mahama utterances. He is driving away a lot of potential voters who might of considering voting for NDC. Mahama current posture of commenting on everything in Ghana is a recipe for failure . Mr. Mahama is no longer attractive to win any elections in Ghana. Current voters register is not favorable for NDC to win elections and instead of Mahama articulating good policies to win the hearts of Ghanaians . MR. MAHAMA IS NOT A PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL ANY LONGER IN GHANA POLITICS CONSIDERING HIS RECENT UNREFINED LANGUAGES.
Mahama nie! always disgracing NDC. Again Mahama doesn't read or has understanding of what it takes build a nation. What Dr. Bawu has done with his IT drive is immeasurable. The conner stone of any formidable Economy is data-- and that is what Dr. Bawu has been able and achieving with Ghana. Now at least Ghana can identify about 80% of the population. Without data economic prosperity will remain a mirage. We need a futuristic leader and Dr. Bawu is the way.
What the heck! Will this guy stop talking, every time he speaks, he entangles himself in his own web. Is this sheer ignorance or something else. I am glad that we all experienced his presidency, otherwise, one would have given him the benefit of the doubt but walaahi, never again. Short memory Ghanaians still remember yen tie obiara when they were reeling under dumsor for almost 5 years. What a catastrophic failure you yourself are in leadership?? Never again are we going back to those days under IMF. What the heck!!!
''I am not the type to be taken in by words or huge catchy phrases as I focus on the substance of the programme in terms of its objectives, mode of delivery, outcomes, and impacts at cost effective levels." Did I read the former president indicating '' cost effective levels '' I laugh enter Bole Hahaahaaahaaah haaaa. How much was he going to build the inter operability platform for until this vice president rescued us from such day light robbery. Former President Mahama was going to charge us 4.6billion new ghana Cedis , But vice president Bawumia and his team got this done for only 4million dollars i.e 20million newcedis at that time. Look at the gap of robbery that was going to happen if this new team had not come in.
I don't know why Mahama and his handlers are not seeing that Ghanaians are getting fed up with his utterances. At least, they realised that his "Do or Die" statement is now harming them so they have started distancing themselves from it. More of such things will come if he is not stopped. What at all does this man want? You cannot be president again, so why keep tarnishing your reputation and credibility, if there is any left at all?
Mahama terribly abhor anything sane.
Mahama must be likened to "Alice in Wonderland". This same man who sent us to IMF seeking credibility bailout now has the balls to call those who relieved us from this tentacles as "failed economist"? Mahama have you forgotten so soon the mess that you created as a result of the Dumsor? Mahama have you forgotten so soon that as part of the IMF conditionality a backlog of graduates were not employed and therefore formed the "Unemployed Graduates Association? You managed the Economy so well that is why you employed the killer taxes to collapse businesses. Mahama don't expose your ignorance by claiming there is no link between ICT and managing an Economy. Eiiii Mahama thinks we still have short memory.