Vice-presidential candidate of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said although President John Mahama says he is not a “magician” to be putting money in the pockets of jobless youth in the country, he has proven to be a very good magician when it comes to squandering Ghana’s money through dubious schemes.

“He (President Mahama) tells us he’s not a magician. He says he’s not a magician to solve the problem of unemployment. But, he’s a very good magician when it comes to the disappearance of Ghana’s money under ‘create, loot and share’ schemes like SADA, Woyome, Ameri, Karpower, GYEEDA, Waterville, ISOFOTON, etc.

“President Mahama is a very good magician [who is good] at making our money disappear. We want change. We want to elect a new President. We don’t want a dead goat as a president. A dead goat is a dead goat, whether in Ashanti, Volta, Greater Accra, Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Upper West, Upper East, Western, Central or Northern. We don’t want to vote for a dead goat,” Dr Bawumia told NPP supporters in the Volta Region on Sunday.

He also described Mr Mahama as a “dead goat” who is no more needed by Ghanaians. “They cannot pay for School Feeding, they cannot pay for Mass Cocoa Spraying. The National Youth Employment Programme has collapsed under their watch and they cannot pay contractors. That is why we are saying they are an incompetent government,” he said.

Dr Bawumia was confident that the people of Ghana “don’t want to vote for a president who cannot think far. Of what use is a president who cannot think far? We want a farsighted President. We don’t want to vote for a president whose government is corrupt, and we definitely don’t want to vote for an incompetent President.”

He assured the people of the Volta Region that “in 18 days’ time a new Ghana will be born, and we will begin to see the restoration of a leadership of vision, integrity and incorruptibility under Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. In 18 days’ time, we will have a new President-Elect of the Republic of Ghana. We will replace this corrupt and incompetent government of President Mahama.”

Dr. Bawumia added that “in 18 days’ time, you will begin to see the process of the restoration of the teacher training and nursing allowances. We will begin the process of transformation of the economy which brings down unemployment and brings jobs to our people.”

He, therefore, urged residents of Aflao and the populace of the Volta Region to unite and ignore the tribal and ethnocentric politics being waged by President Mahama.

“Let us all come together as one country, and let us not allow President Mahama to divide us. He has no message, he has lost the argument. You cannot govern with propaganda and tribalism. Away with tribalism and let’s get together with unity under Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,” he appealed.

Thanking the people of Aflao who turned out in their thousands to attend the rally, Dr. Bawumia stated that “from what I am seeing today, I can see why some people are panicking. I can see why they are making nonsensical statements, and I can see why, Insha Allah, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will be the next President of Ghana.”