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Two leading members of the biggest political parties in the country were literally at each other's throat spewing invectives at one another.

The verbal spat between the two, happened on NEAT FM’s 'Ghana Montie' programme on Wednesday morning.

Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), George Lawson lost his cool when he described a Deputy Chief Scribe of the NPP, Nana Obiri Boahen as a “villager” and a “bushman” who has little knowledge of politics.

They were discussing the NPP’s press conference -held on Tuesday - on the controversial bus rebranding contract awarded Smartty's Production by the Transport Ministry.

Mr. Lawson, who vehemently opposed assertions by the NPP that the Mahama-led administration is the most corrupt government ever in the history of Ghana, rhetorically retorted; "Is the pot calling the kettle black?”

To him, President John Dramani Mahama is doing his best to curb the canker which was overlooked by the previous NPP government saying; “they (NPP) are the most corrupt ever. The track record is there.”

The opposition party, at the press conference held in Accra, described as “ludicrous” the decision by government to broker a deal with Smarttys Production to brand buses with pictures of President John Mahama and other ex-presidents of the country, and urged the NDC to refund the “tax payers’ money” used for that exercise.

“The practice of using taxpayers’ monies to put pictures of President Mahama and NDC slogans on public buses should be stopped. The NDC should pay the full cost of ghc3.6 million for this political advertising,” Nana Akomea, NPP Communications Director said.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Nana Akomea said: “The excuse for this decision to put the photos of President Mahama and the other fourth republic presidents on the buses is ludicrous. We have been told the decision was to recognize their contributions to Ghana’s progress.”

“This provides another clear case of bad governance, waste of taxpayers’ monies, corruption, non-transparency and weak government response to corruption that has become typical in this seven years of NDC governance,” the party stressed. 

Nana Obiri Boahen’s 'attack'

Defending his party’s claims, the NPP’s Obiri Boahen launched a personal attack on George Lawson for labelling the NPP, the "most corrupt ever" by belittling his assertions – “Not everyone in the NDC talk sense for us in the NPP to respond to. What he [George Lawson] is saying is rubbish. He is making an ugly and useless statement. The NDC should tell us how many people they have prosecuted. George Lawson is not a matured politician.”

George Lawson’s riposte

But a fuming Mr. Lawson shot back – “If that foolish man insults me I will also insult him here [live on radio] . . . He is a villager with no manners. You see the way he is talking? He is from the bush. I will not allow that villager to insult me. He should be civil, I don’t come from the bush.”