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Managing Editor of the Accra Daily Mail, Alhaji Haruna Attah, has dissociated himself from Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP�s 2012 Vice Presidential Candidate�s maiden Aliu Mahama memorial lecture, at which he (Bawumia) criticised the Mahama administration�s handling of the economy. At the Wednesday night lecture on the theme: �Discipline in economic management: the key to sustainable growth and prosperity�, the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana and two-time Vice Presidential Candidate of the main opposition NPP, accused the current NDC Government of "borrowing the equivalent of $20 billion in just the last five years." He also described the NDC�s Socialist Democratic ideals as �Akonfem Socialism�- taking from the majority poor and giving to the minority rich through corrupt means � which has made the ordinary Ghanaian worse off. "What is worrying is that they tell us that this is only the first gear! Can you see or feel that $20 billion dollars has been pumped into this economy in the last five years? Where are the projects to show for the $20 billion? Just imagine the transformational effect if every region were given $2 billion for development projects,� Dr Bawumia said. But in a strongly worded statement issued moments after the memorial lecture, Haruna Atta, who is a member of the Publicity Committee of the Memorial Lecture, slammed Dr Bawumia for �deviating from the topic given�, indulging in an �unwarranted partisan political scoring exercise� and by extension debasing the memory of the late Vice-President. He also apologised to the President for the "unfair" and "uncalled for" attack on him (Mahama) and the government. �He (Bawumia) not only deviated from the topic he was given but exploited the platform to indulge in an unwarranted partisan political point scoring exercise and by so doing, totally desecrated the memory of the man the lecture was supposed to ennoble. It was not in good taste,� Alhaji Haruna Atta said. Below is a reproduction/UNEDITED copy of the statement. DISSOCIATION This is to dissociate myself from the lecture delivered by Dr. Mahmudu Bawumiya at the Aliu Mahama Memorial Lecture yesterday, November 13 2011. He not only deviated from the topic he was given but exploited the platform to indulge in an unwarranted partisan political point scoring exercise and by so doing, totally desecrated the memory of the man the lecture was supposed to ennoble. It was not in good taste. I also wish to apologise to the President of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama and his government for this unfair and uncalled-for attack on them. SIGNED A Harruna Attah Publicity Committee