Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has thrown an open invitation to Former President John Mahama (JM) for a debate.

I wish to state emphatically that as a member of the NDC Caucus in Parliament, I will impress upon my party to let Bawumia sink on his own sword.

For starters, JM is a credible gentleman who is known for solid achievements, for example, healthcare facilities, new schools, road infrastructure, just to mention a few.

This is in sharp contrast to Bawumia and his people who promised Agenda 111 hospitals and used that as vendetta to demolish the La General Hospital; not a single one of those hospitals has been completed.

Dr Bawumia and his apparatchiks should go and rebuild the La General Hospital before coming to make further empty promises in a fruitless presidential debate.
Again Bawumia is already in the mud, having falsely imprisoned the cedi and given the keys to the IGP.

No wonder the IGP, who believes in the rule of law, set the cedi free.
Today the cedi is over 15 cedis to the dollar, compared to around three cedis when JM left office in January 2017.

Bawumia being part of a lawless gang, forgets that even under citizens’ arrest, when you arrest the cedi, you have to bring it to a court of law, but not use extra-judicial measures to imprison it and give the keys to the IGP.

Such lack of adherence to due process is seen in the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-election violence and the murder of some eight civilians during the last elections.

How can we forget the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lipke and Lolobi (SALL) who are paying taxes but have no representation in Parliament?

How about the 20,000 people dispersed as a result of the incompetent Akosombo dam spillage?

Has Bawumia even expressed remorse and solidarity with Ghanaians over such pertinent matters?

True justice involves addressing such matters before you call for a debate.
Again Dr Bawumia should go and answer the 170 or so questions he asked former vice president Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur before calling for a debate.

Those questions are enough for him alone to address in a two-hour media encounter.

But above all, it is sheer disrespect and lack of political maturity that makes Dr Bawumia give an open invitation.

He is jumping the gun when independent bodies such as think tanks and the GBC have been trying to work out such debates.

Any wonder Bawumia has chosen Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo) as running mate?
These two loquacious propagandists will get us all in trouble.

Indeed such a belligerent attitude from the duo will drown Ghana in domestic and international conflict if they do not lose the December presidential election.

Bawumia’s father was northern regional minister under Dr Kwame Nkrumah who incidentally introduced free education in the northern areas of Ghana.

Has Bawumia publicly apologized for the offensive comments made by his running mate against President Nkrumah just a few days ago?

What does Bawumia think his father will do in his grave?

He will be gnashing his teeth and turning in his grave to see Bawumia and his running mate denigrate the president who gave Bawumia’s father a job to put food on his table and cater for his education.

Dr Bawumia is what he is today because of Dr Kwame Nkrumah who gave his father a job.

And this has catered for Bawumia throughout his life.

Napo meanwhile attended Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) which was established by Nkrumah.

Indeed, Bawumia cannot be unaware that his running mate was going to attack Nkrumah and even President Kufuor.

If he was unaware, then how could he be in charge?

No wonder many fear Napo will control Bawumia.

But why are we not surprised?

Bawumia, as chairperson of the economic management team oversaw the deliberate withdrawal of the two cedi note that bore Nkrumah’s image from circulation.
Someone please tell Dr Bawumia and Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh that lose lips sink ships.

We shall not allow JM to debate lose lips.

The writer, Dr Abed Lamangin Bandim, is the Member of Parliament for Bunkpurugu, 'writing from my mud house in Bunkpurugu Constituency.'