https://www.myjoyonline.com/infrastructure-debate-data-for-independent-verification-not-available-pumpuni-asante/-------https://www.myjoyonline.com/infrastructure-debate-data-for-independent-verification-not-available-pumpuni-asante/

Director, Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has said there is no data available for independent verification of projects constructed by the Mahama administration and Akufo- Addo government.

This, he said will be a limitation on the infrastructure debate proposed by former President John Mahama to the current government.

"I would want to hear more, the discussion about how we can measure that [the projects] because that is what then we are going to judge as a public. That is the benefit that it comes directly to the citizen," he told Samson Lardy Anyenini on Newsfile, Saturday.

His comments come after former President John Mahama threw a challenge to his successor for a debate on the performance record of their respective governments, especially on infrastructural development.

Mr Mahama's call followed Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia’s data-driven presentation at the NPP's townhall meeting where he argued that the level of infrastructure development under the Akufo-Addo government is better than what was provided by the opposition NDC during its eight years in office.

At the meeting, Dr. Bawumia said the Akufo-Addo administration had undertaken infrastructural projects in excess of 17,000 within the four years it assumed office.

But addressing residents in the Ketu South constituency on Wednesday as part of his tour of the Volta Region, former president Mahama expressed his readiness to face off against Akufo-Addo on the achievement in the sector.

Wading into the argument, Dr. Asante says the only way to verify the progress of both governments, in terms of infrastructure is to have independent data on the works of both government, however, such data does not exist.

He adds that the debate must be done in a more constructive way that gives citizens an opportunity to verify projects both governments say they have constructed.

"I think the infrastructure debate and the reason why we are doing this is that ultimately, we want to be able to give citizens of this country an opportunity to make a judgement call on the performance of the NPP and also on the performance of the NDC that is seeking to return to power.

"And so if we are going to do this, then I think that it is important that we do this debate in a more constructive and substantive way," he added.

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