Ghana owes $24 billion not $37b - Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has said allegations that his government has borrowed to the tune of $37 billion are exaggerated.

The running mate to Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has accused the Mahama administration of borrowing $37 billion but has only accounted for $7 billion of that.

But reacting to the allegation, Mr Mahama told Bridget Otoo in an interview on TV3 Monday March 14 that the figures were exaggerated.

“There is a lot of exaggeration about borrowing. The borrowing has not been excessive. I heard one of the candidates say during this government, we have borrowed $37 billion.

“The total debt of Ghana, as it stands today from independence, is $24 billion.

“How can this government have borrowed $37 billion? Does it make mathematical sense to you? And then this person goes repeating it over and over again for what purpose you don’t know,” the president wondered.

“We must tell people the truth. The thing is, you can’t lie your way to power,” he added.