One Billion Party Money Goes Missing

INFORMATION STUMBLED upon by The Chronicle has revealed deep divisions among the National Executives of the People's National Convention (PNC), a party Founded by the Third Republican President, Dr. Hilla Limann.

Whilst the Acting National Chairman of the party, Mr. John Ndebugri is claiming that the Youth Organizer, Mr. Bernard Mornah is not a Member of the National Executive and should stop parading himself as such, the later also says he was dully appointed according to the dictates of the party's constitution.

Hon. Ndebugri, who was the first to fire the salvo at a news conference he organized in Bolgatanga recently, claimed Mornah's position as National Youth Organizer was not recognized by the constitution of the party and that it was illegal for him to be going round the Regions organizing conferences in the name of the party.

He has as result threatened to file contempt charges against him and those supporting him if he did not put an end to his behaviour.

Mr. Mornah however told the Chronicle in Accra yesterday that if Ndebugri wanted to add the position of the Youth Organizer to that of the National First Vice Chairman, he was prepared to relinquish it to him.

He said the constitution of the party was amended in 2004 to make the position of the Youth Organizer and other positions elective. Prior to this amendment, the Youth Organizer was appointed.

He said until the party goes to congress to elect officers, his position was still recognized and that Ndebugri as a lawyer should have known this.

He wondered why Ndebugri should be talking about legal issues when he himself flouted the constitution of the party by filing to contest the position he is currently holding on the day of the congress.

The constitution stipulates that those aspiring for any position should file their papers two weeks before congress but Ndebugri according to Mornah, filed his papers on the day of the congress but he was allowed to contest.

Ndebrugri would however not listen to this. "The days of coups are gone; anybody acting on the side is a coup maker and I am saying that such coup makers should be disregarded", Hon. Ndebugri told the media men who attended his news conference.

According to him, the PNC has structures clearly defined by the constitution of the party promulgated at its formation on May 1992 and subsequently amended in September 1996.

He noted that the amended Constitution had National Congress whose functions and powers include the election of National Chairman, three National Vice Chairmen and choosing a presidential candidate in an election year as well as deciding on matters of general policies of the party as the highest decision making organ of the party.

The second highest decision making body he continued, is the National Executive Council (NEC), which is the chief executive organ of the party. Its functions and powers include the execution of the policies and programmes of the party as approved by the National Congress, making appropriate preparations for meetings of National Congress, guiding and supervising all party activities and enforcing the party constitution and other subordinate roles and regulations of the party.

Next to NEC is the National Standing Committee, which is the highest administrative organ responsible for the day-to-day activities of the party under the guidance of the party's leadership, he added.

Hon. Ndebugre emphasized that the party's leadership was defined by Article 48 of the party's constitution as amended, to include the National Chairman, three National Vice Chairmen and the presidential candidate and his or her running mate in an election period.

The constitution also makes provisions for the regional, constituency and branch structures with their clearly defined roles.

He could not therefore fathom why some members of the party should assign themselves unconstitutional tasks that has the potency to destabilize the party and questioned the real motive behind such "Indiscipline act".

"There is one Bernard Mornah, a young man who is going about busying himself in organizing regional conferences.

One of these days I will take him on for contempt at the High Court because we have proceedings in the court challenging him", he said and added that Mornah has no mandate to organize conferences.

The acting National Chairman further told the pressmen that he did not know how Mornah was appointed the National Youth Organizer and that it was indiscipline on his part to be going round and claiming to be Youth Organizer of the party.

Hon. Ndebugre noted that the struggle to maintain the integrity of the party was both legal and political indicating that those engaging in activities contrary to the party's constitution would be dealt with legally whilst the political approach takes the form of sensitizing and whipping them up to the realities in the party.

"For the party to function efficiently and gain the respect and trust of the Ghanaian public, these structures must be duly constituted, respected and made to operate", he said The acting PNC National Chairman, who is also the MP for Zebila in the Upper West Regio, said though his outfit as legitimate leaders of the party had not set any date for congress, some people have arrogated that powers to themselves by setting dates for their congress.

He said one person who wanted to impose himself on the party as their presidential candidate was orchestrating the self-servicing move and regretted that the same people had failed to account for over one billion cedis donated to the party sometime back.

Hon. Ndebugre noted that the immediate task facing the party was to re-establish and reinvigorate its structures from the sub-branch to branch and constituency level. "Thereafter properly constituted regional conferences would be held followed by grand and duly constituted meeting of the National Congress", he declared.

He entreated all party members, supporters and sympathizers to disregard all other statements issued from and actions by person who did not have the mandate to do so.