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Government has thrown a challenge to the Running Mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to breakdown his $37 billion debt figures for public scrutiny to ascertain who got the figures wrong.

Deputy Finance Minister, Hon Cassiel Ato Forson avers the figures quoted by Dr. Bawumia as the total debt of the country are only known to him; adding the renowned economist has made his mind to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice-Presidential Candidate to Nana Akufo-Addo, has said that President John Mahama needs proper briefing on the true state of the borrowing that has occurred in the last 7 years.

This comes as a direct response to recent comments from the President underestimating the true extent of the NDC borrowing and the fact that the actual value of the debt in dollar terms estimated at the dollar value of the debt at the time of borrowing is some $37 billion.

"In the last seven years alone under this NDC government Ghana’s total debt has ballooned from GH¢9.5billion to a projected GH¢99billion by the end 0f 2015! What is clear is that 90% (i.e. GHC89.5 billion) of Ghana’s total debt since independence has been accumulated under this NDC government between 2009-2015 i.e. the last seven years,” he said.

But Hon. Ato Forson on Okay Fm’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show responded that it is not possible for the NDC government in 7 years to borrow $37 billion dollars as the current exchange rate when expressed in Ghana cedi will even balloon the debt stock to Ghc140 billion; exceeding the Ghc99 billion projected debt revealed by Nana Akufo-Addo.

“He has made his mind to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians in the name of politics. How could we use 7 years to borrow $37 billion if today you express the amount in Ghana cedi with the current exchange rate, it will be Ghc140 billion; this is not true as Dr. Bawumia has put it in comparison with Nana Addo’s Ghc99 billion debt figures”, he stated.

“You cannot constantly lie to Ghanaians that we have borrowed $37 billion in 7 years; it cannot be correct. You cannot do that always,” he jabbed.

He thus challenged Dr. Bawumia to come up with the source of his claims in order to ascertain whether the President was indeed not well-briefed or perhaps he [Bawumia] does not know the numbers and is possibly trying to deceive Ghanaians.