Mahama has no clue about Digital Address System – Bawumia comes for his favourite target

Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia says former President John Mahama’s record in government makes him unsuitable to describe a government’s digital address system as ‘419’.

Taking on arguably his favourite political target, Dr. Bawumia said he found it “incredible that he [Mahama] would have the effrontery to talk about 419 scams.”

After learning of Mahama’s description of the application as a pitiful and embarrassing initiative which is already available on Google, Dr Bawumia is convinced the former president “has no clue about what he was talking about.”

Launched on October 18 by President Nana Akufo-Addo, the National Digital Property Addressing System (NDPAS) is a key component of formalising the economy to improve financial and socio-economic inclusion and tax collection.

Some Ghanaians branded the app as unspectacular and ineffective. Some have wondered what problem that app exactly tries to solve. The government has been explaining the app’s usefulness.

But it has taken a political jab from the former President to invite Dr. Bawumia to come out to give Mr. Mahama a personal explanation in a 4-page statement which begins by explaining the functions, uniqueness and cost involved in the National Digital Property Addressing System.

Dr Bawumia suggested the President has confused the GhanaPostGPS app as the NDPAS. He said the app is a component and not the entire project.

The Vice-President explained that the advantage of GhanaPostGPS app over Google is that google maps cannot confirm an address.

He said the app cannot be cost-free because among others, intellectual property rights are involved while there is also the cost of training for a nation-wide sensitization on the use of the app.

Dr. Bawumia then moves away from technical digitals and jumps into the political arena stating “we have been witnesses to 8 years of his [Mahama] governance as Vice President and President and we know what 419 scams look like”.

He proceeded to point out scandalous payments of GH¢200 million under the SADA Guinea fowl and tree planting “scam”. He mentioned the $23million paid for the construction of a runway at Kumasi Airport as well as “GH¢ 952 million GYEEDA scam”.

Dr Bawumia hailed the digital address system as excellent and repeated a 2016 advice to Mahama to “take some time and just read”.

The Vice-President said propaganda did not help the National Democratic Congress (NDC) while in government and cannot help it climb out of opposition.

Source: Myjoyonline.com