NPP denies Obiri Boahane’s GHC50 billion Flagstaff House allegation

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has denied claims by its deputy general secretary that the party received an amount of GHC50 billion from Ghana’s presidency for the organisation of its national annual delegates conference in Cape Coast last year.

Nana Obiri Boahen had suggested in a leaked private conversation with a supposed National Democratic Congress (NDC) member that he was given a paltry GHC3,000 from the GHC50 billion which the Flagstaff House gifted the party with for the Congress.

“Even when we went to Cape Coast recently on an official assignment, as a member of the resolution committee, they gave me only GHC3000 and received a paltry sum of GHc 2000 for fuel. So in all, I was given just GHc5000, while the Flag Staff House had given headquarters an amount of about GHc 50 billion. I’m only watching them; what is happening now is called ‘grabbing, grabbing’ that is what they are doing,” Mr. Obiri Boahen said in the said audiotape.

He further claimed that though he’s an executive of the party, he has not been given an office, adding he had at most times used his own resources to conduct party businesses.

The leaked tape, which has since gone viral, has attracted criticisms from the public who have been shocked by the revelation from the deputy general secretary.

But the NPP issued a statement Tuesday to rebut the claims contained in the said tape, describing the allegation by Mr. Obiri Boahen as “palpable false”, indicating “no such thing happened”. The statement signed and issued by the general secretary John Boadu said “Nana Obiri Boahen himself has subsequently admitted to the falsity of his baseless allegation”.

It said the party has taken serious exception to the “unfortunate comments” by Mr. Obiri Boahen, and stated the NPP steering committee has been tasked to look into the matter and make appropriate recommendations.

“We wish to assure our members and the Ghanaian people that, the NPP is scrupulously minded of the line that exists between government and the party and would uphold the distinction at all times” the statement assured.

Meanwhile, Mr. Obiri Boahene admitted on an Accra-based radio station that the conversation was indeed between himself and an NDC member, but explained what he said in the tape was not a true reflection of what is happening in the NPP.

He said he had to exaggerate what he said so he could get the NDC member whose name has been given as Kwaku Skirt to also open up and divulge sensitive NDC information to him.

“What i said in that conversation is not true reflection of what is going on in my party. But sometimes as mature politician, if you want to squeeze information out of people you need to exaggerate something, because when you show disinterest in what he’s saying, he will not give you enough information.

“But lying and giving him false information, he was able to give me detailed information. Infact the information I had from him has been very beneficial to me as an individual and to my party as well. What he said about the NDC concerning the plans and strategies of the NDC party, I have it all and I won’t discuss on the airwaves; I’m too mature as a politician,” he claimed.