NPP Financers demand Money Back

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is facing serious problems in the Dangbe West District as a result of misunderstandings among party loyalists.

The situation has left the party front now divided and is causing the party's image to sink lower, with demands for refund of financial assistance offered in the past. Leading members of the party in the district who committed their lives to sustain and grow the party from 1991, when it was established, are now clearly staying away from party activities as a result of the confusion.

The likes of Vadis Teye Muno, a resident of Asutsuare and a leading member of the party who spent countless months in different cells in Accra, Tema and Akosombo during the NDC administration for political reasons, is no more interested in the NPP.

Mr. Osei Banahene, former Shai-Osudoku Constituency Organiser, who was also detained in BNI Cells during the NDC administration also for opposing the NDC and showing massive support for the NPP, has also fallen out with the party. The list goes on.

In fact, party wrangling in the district have left even the die-hard supporters wondering if the party has any chance of snatching the seats of Ningo-Prampram and Shai-Osudoku, come 2004.

"What makes the situation more alarming is the fact that, the District Chief Executive, who is a Government appointee and arguably the party's functional head, is himself engaged in the confusion", a source said.

The Heritage investigations spanning over a month indicates that indeed some leading members, who even supported the appointment of the DCE are now at loggerheads with him, over complaints of his divide-and-rule tactics. In fact he has been accused of being insensitive to the electorate.

Currently, this paper has established that some party loyalists who funded the Shai-Osudoku congress to a meagre tune of ?1.5m are demanding the money back.

They have since informed both the DCE and the constituency executives to refund the money to them to avoid mayhem.

Also campaign promises to get the youths employed have not materialised. Even though some of the youth were given contracts to dig sand at a sandpit at Dodowa, the work has since been stopped. This is because, the digging of sand in the area is illegal and the youths are now crying for jobs.

In fact, anyone, who goes to the district would eventually find out that even though, the two NDC MP's, E.T. Mensah and Mike Gizo, are likely not to contest for the third time running, the NPP's own activities would make it impossible for them to win the two seats, even if a novice stand on the NDC's ticket.