Deputy Local Government Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and the Campaign Manager of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Boakye Agyarko battled it out on Joy FM’s Election Headquarters program Thursday, as to which of the two political parties was more likely to better manage Ghana's oil revenue. Mr. Afriyie Ankrah claimed that in addition to managing oil revenues effectively, President Mahama intended to use Ghana’s oil deposits to boost the success of homegrown production-based industries which have historically been impeded by a lack of adequate power. He said Mr Mahama - as chairman of the Economic Management Team - directed and led processes for transparent regimes for the allocation of resources in the oil sector. Again, Mr Afriyie Ankrah posited that the president championed the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda – aspects that deal with how the oil resources will be managed and has furthermore alluded to the possibility of making iron ore deposits become the basis for an aluminum production sector. “… [Mr Mahama] is somebody who has a track record and a depth of experience in practical management,” Mr Afriyie opined. However Mr Agyarko of the NPP noted that oil management was not entirely different from managing the existing economy because “oil revenue is an additional stream of income that accrues to the economy.” “So … if you are incompetent in managing your existing stream of revenues, nothing should give us [the electorates] the confidence and comfort that when additional revenue [is added]…you will have the competence of managing it.” Mr. Agyarko was extremely confident that the NPP, led by Akufo-Addo, can better manage the nation’s oil resource because “We have shown competence in managing the economy and by extension, we have the competence to manage the oil revenue.” He added that the Kufuor-administration prepared the Oil Revenue Management Bill and put in place sufficient guarantees and controls to ensure that these revenues were properly managed. In contrast, Mr Agyarko pointed out that the persistent economic problems confronting the nation over the last three-years only attested to the fact that the economic policies of the NDC were ineffective, saying voters should expect nothing different from the Mahama-led government. Mr. Ankrah however defended the NDC’s economic track record by reminding Ghanaians that the economy had chalked great successes even in the face of global economic meltdown.