In Ghanaian politics, it is not uncommon for political opponents to engage in heated exchanges, often disregarding decorum in their communication. However, voters are becoming more discerning and less likely to be swayed by empty rhetoric. The question then arises: who are the biggest political liars in Ghana, and does Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the current Vice President, deserve to be labeled as one?
To be tagged or labelled as a liar is extremely demeaning.
Some vices should not be associated with any individual who seeks to lead a nation, and for me lie top the list.
Let us establish who a liar is, and see if the Vice President qualifies to carry that humiliating tag.
Repeatedly, the label appears to have caught the attention of many citizens, and even surprisingly including many folks within the governing NPP.
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Now, it is becoming difficult for the NPP to fight the unholy tag, leaving the 2024 flagbearer to his fate to defend the ‘lies’ albatross.
Any good and objective political analyst will agree that the ruling party failed to match up with the energy the opposition exerted in that negative branding of Dr Bawumia.
But politicians ought to know that Ghanaian voters are becoming discerning and will not fall for anything at all.
Before the 2016 general elections, Dr Bawumia as the then running mate took the task of leading the attacks, particularly on the economy run by the NDC government, which he claimed was being mismanaged.
He spoke through a series of public lectures, and many political platforms and rallies.
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Foremost, Dr. Bawumia was simply criticizing the government for some of the failing policies and programmes in a bid to paint the NDC government as incompetent.
Secondly, the then-running mate was propagating the party’s manifesto, which was going to be the official reference point document when the NPP formed the government.
He provided alternative and better solutions to the myriad problems which confront the country.
Come with me and let us ask some questions.
Political Promises: Lies or Unfulfilled Expectations?
Do political promises during an electioneering campaign amount to lies if unfulfilled?
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Has any political party fulfilled all campaign promises after winning political power?
Winning political power in Ghana is not easy at all, you must come hard at the ruling government by pointing out the weakness and the failures to make it unpopular in the eyes of the voters.
Dr. Bawumia set out some questions, about 170, directed at the NDC government especially the then-sitting Vice President, Amissah Arthur, who was in charge of the economic management team.
The NPP economics wizard was not particularly happy about the NDC government's mishandling of the economy and consistently took the officials on the unresolved inflation, pontificating that when the fundamentals are weak the exchange would expose you.
For the sake of argument, if almost eight years the NPP government led by President Akufo-Addo is unable to implement some of the campaign promises, who takes the blame?
Does the inability to fulfill all campaign and manifesto promises amount to lies?
And therefore the person who spoke excerpts from the manifesto of a political party becomes a liar?
This is illogical.
There are myriad of problems confronting the nation and I dare say that even ordinary Ghanaians know them at their fingertips.
Accusations of Dishonesty Against Dr. Bawumia
Horace Nii Ayi Ankrah has once again criticized Vice-President Dr.
Mahamudu Bawumia, referring to him as "Ghana’s most decorated liar" after he was assigned the first spot on the ballot for the upcoming presidential elections.
In an exclusive interview, the NDC stalwart explained his strong focus on character in this election, claiming that "it is all about good character, integrity, and trust, qualities the current Vice-President lacks to lead the country."
When challenged on the harshness of his words, the former Chairman of the NDC UK/Ireland Chapter responded, "A spade is a spade."
Ankrah expressed concern about Dr.
Bawumia's repeated dishonesty, stating, "He has lied so much that I personally worry about how he will be perceived globally if he were to lead a decent people like the Ghanaian public."
He further urged members of Bawumia's own party to be mindful of his character.
To support his claims, Ankrah cited several instances of what he called Bawumia's "lies and deceit."
He said, "Bawumia lied when he promised an airport for Cape Coast, lied about resolving water and sanitation issues within two years of the NPP administration, and lied about the completion of the Pwalugu Dam, which they claim as a major achievement but cannot account for $11 million spent on it.
He also lied about his ability to manage the economy, leading Ghana into a situation similar to Zimbabwe’s.
He lied when he said Ghana wouldn't return to the IMF, promised an economy based on production rather than taxation but instead burdened the country with taxes like the E-Levy and COVID Levy, and lied about the Ghana Card being used as an E-Passport."
According to Ankrah, these examples demonstrate "dishonesty, manipulation, deception, lack of integrity, and untrustworthiness," which, in his view, have eroded the trust Ghanaians should have in a leader.
Honesty is always the best policy, even when it's difficult.
Unfortunately, Dr.
Lying has become one of the characteristics of the Ghanaian vice-president who is currently seeking nominating to lead his party, the New Patriotic Party, in 2024 presidential election.
Ever since Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was selected as President Nana Akufo-Addo's vice-presidential candidate in 2008, he has lied and given false information about the National Democratic Congress.
The Vice-President continues to lie to Ghanaians to this day.
You will all recall that in 2014, the then vice-presidential candidate said, “If the fundamentals are weak, the exchange rate will expose you”.
But when his government had performed abysmally worst when the exchange rate of Cedis to foreign currencies went over double digits and inflation was skyrocketing to 57%, Vice President Dr.
Bawumia told a town hall meeting in April 2019 that the fact that the Cedi was depreciating did not mean that the fundamentals were weak.
Dr. Bawumia to speak on country's ailing economy
He said, "It was so then and it is so now…. it is 100 per cent true... to conclude that fundamentals are weak when there is depreciation defies all logic.
There could be other external factors causing the exchange rate to fall."
Were there no other factors when the Cedi depreciated in 2014/2015?
This man is truly a Walewale Adam Smith as Honourable Isaac Adongo called him.
At a lecture at the Central University University on March 25, 2015, he lied that the African Development Bank (AfDB) had suspended Ghana the month before and we were still suspended at the time of his lecture.
The AfDB denied his claim the same evening.
On 18 August 2015, at a press conference at the Alisa Hotel, he claimed to have evidence of 760,000 foreigners from Togo, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso on the electoral roll.
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