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Former President John Dramani Mahama formally rounded up his nationwide "Thank You Tour" with a public lecture in Accra on Wednesday night.

In a 14page address that spanned thematic areas on the economy, corruption, youth unemployment, politicisatuon of state agencies, the former president attributed the current hardships to "bad leadership" and "misguided priorities in economic management".

His public lecture, however, would not have been complete without directing a few lines of his address at the Vice-President, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia - believed to be a torn in the flesh of the opposition party - and his recent statement on Digitalization of the Economy.

He accused Dr Bawumia, who is head of the Economic Management Team, of using digitalization to mask up the NPP's poor handling of the economy.

While mocking the Vice President for touting himself as an "economic messiah" who has metamorphosed into an "overnight IT champion", Mr Mahama was emphatic that the former's lectures on digitization can in no way wish away memories of the economic distress Ghanaians are facing.

"No amount of digital propaganda will take away the excruciating hardships Ghanaians are going through. This our country Ghana will be liberated,” ex-president Mahama stated.

Still on the subject of digitalising the economy, the NDC 2020 Flagbearer sought to downplay what the Akufo-Addo led government considers as landmark achievements.

"The recent brouhaha about upweighting the use and application of enhanced computer systems in our workflows, practices and lifestyles is needless. Some have opted to term the drive a digitalisation drive. I am not the type to be taken in by words or huge catchy phrases as I focus on the substance of the programme in terms of its objectives, mode of delivery, outcomes, and impacts at cost effective levels."

"It is quite amusing though, that even as the economy faces these severe challenges requiring urgent action, those who have been responsible for the mess, have attempted to make a fluid transition from failed, self-styled economic messiahs of the very recent past to overnight IT champions," he stated.

To Mr Mahama, the current administration cannot claim all the credit for the digitalisation drive since the groundswork was laid decades ago by successive governments.

"We are suddenly being told that the decades old incremental progress that has been made in the ICT sector due to sound and consistent policy making spanning several governments leading us to a point where they are being leveraged for convenient, efficient and innovative service delivery and transactions, is the brainchild of some people whose record and involvement is at best, very tenuous."

"It bears stating that if the ICT sector has grown in leaps and bounds, then it is down to the hard work of several people who dedicated their lives and efforts towards bringing us thus far," the former president added.