EDITORIAL: Where From This Money, Alan?

Yesterday we [Ghanaian Chronicle] carried a story about the use of Ghana Air Force plane G520 by Alan Kyerematen for his NPP presidential campaign in Wa and Tamale. When the story hit the newsstands yesterday, the head of the Public Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Armed Forces, Col. E. K. Nibo confirmed that indeed Alan used the aircraft, but explained that it was hired for him by a company he named as Munich.

According to Nibo it cost almost ¢20 million to hire the aircraft for an hour.

Col. Nibo, who called our Acting Editor on phone, also denied that the aircraft was the presidential one as we indicated in the story.

Col. Nibo had earlier explained, on air, that anyone who has the means can come forward to rent the aircraft and mentioned a number of institutions that have rented it before.

Few minutes after Nibo had spoken on Peace FM, one of the presidential aspirants, Mr. Hackman Owusu Agyeman was also called and he confirmed the use of the aircraft by Alan.

The Chronicle could deduce from his voice that he was not happy about the use of the aircraft by his opponents. To him there must be level playing field for all the aspirants. "If the aircraft is available to everybody, they should let us know," Hackman noted on air.

Ever since the NPP presidential race begun, people have raised several questions about the extravagant spending by Mr. Alan Kyerematen. Day in and out there have been reports that he has been doling out huge sums of money to delegates as their transport fares for coming to meet him.

Hackman Owusu Agyeman, in his Peace FM interview, said he was up there when the delegates who went to meet him came back with their envelopes.

Reports we had, indicated that the aircraft that carried Alan and his team, to Wa and Tamale, left the north late in the day. Now if hiring the plane would cost the person almost ¢20 million per hour, one can image the money that the so-called company will pay to the Armed Forces for using the aircraft for a day.

So the question is where did they get this money?

Never in the history of this country have we heard that a presidential candidate, who is not a member of government, has hired a plane for his presidential-aspirations campaign.

Ghanaians are raising questions about this extravagant spending, because when the NPP was in opposition we did not hear and read about the rampant splashing of money during their bid for presidential-aspirations, as we are witnessing now.

It is rather unfortunate that at the time people are crying about the harsh economic conditions in the country, people like Alan could mobilize money and splash it on delegates, as we are seeing.

The Chronicle would like to call on the appropriate agencies to investigate Munich, the company that reportedly hired the plane for Alan, to ascertain the real owners and the reason behind their decision to hire the plane for the presidential aspirant.

Contrary to what Alan and his group would like the world to believe, The Chronicle is not against him. We are only concerned about the entrenchment of democracy in the country, which includes holding high public officers accountable to the people.

As somebody who has just left government, where he held a responsible position, Ghanaians including the press have every right to demand the source of the money he is displaying. We do not think the assets that were declared by Alan, when he assumed office as a minister of state and what he officially acquired in government, can match the wealth he is displaying today.