Kumasi: NDC gurus accused of ‘chopping’ GH¢60,000

Ashanti regional chairman, Assistant secretary and organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are under intense pressure to cough up GH¢60,000 which they are alleged to have used to organise people to the Baba Yara Stadium during the celebration of the Asantehene’s 15th anniversary.

Messers Yaw Obimpeh, Ativor Sawyer and Alhaji Sanie were supposedly given the amount before the celebration on Sunday, May 11, but to the surprise of President John Dramani Mahama and party officials, the expected number of people was not seen at the stadium.

That development, Today learnt, incensed the president and the Ashanti Regional Minister, Samuel Sarpong.

However, after explaining to the president that he [Hon. Sarpong] detailed the three regional officers to do the necessary organisation and handed the cash over to them, the president’s anger allegedly turned onto the executives.

The president, according to reliable information, was highly disappointed in the three regional party officers.

The situation, according to deep throat sources within the regional branch of the party, has caused serious tension among high ranking members.

While some of them are angry that they [the three regional officers] had disappointed the president, others are also thinking of how much money has been shared without their knowledge, causing further damage to the reputation of the executives.

Today sources at the seat of government- Flagstaff House- confirmed the allegation and said the trio had tried several avenues to apologise to the president but to no avail.

“I know that they called Stan [Dogbey] and Nii Lantey to apologise to the old man on their behalf but both of them cut the lines immediately they heard that it was that matter,” the source told Today.

Meanwhile, sources close to the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) have revealed that the first call was made by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Chief Executive, Hon. Kojo Bonsu, while the second was by the deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Samuel Adusei.

And interestingly all these call hit a snag, the source added.

With the clock ticking for the regional delegates’ conference, the three executives embroiled in the controversy, are said to be reeling under serious pressure to repair whatever damage they have caused.

When this paper tried to seek confirmation or denial of the allegation from the three leading executives of the party, the Regional Chairman, Mr. Yaw Obimpeh’s phone was off but his two other executives’ lines were active.

According to the Assistant Regional Secretary, Mr. Attivor Sawyerr, he had travelled to the Volta region and was in Accra (as at Tuesday) and hence could not confirm the exact brouhaha that was going on, though he said a few people had called him to ask similar questions.

“I am not aware of any such organisation or money given to anybody so please wait for me to arrive in Kumasi so we can talk more,” he said.

However, Regional Organiser, Alhaji Sani, said all the executives were tasked to do that work with the organisers playing leading roles. “We did a very good job and even the president commended us because it was so clear for everybody to see, all the buses that conveyed the people to and from the stadium. “… Who went to Accra to see that the president is angry with us when indeed he commended us for the good work? As for the amount you are mentioning, it is not true but I can’t tell you the actual amount given us,” Alhaji Sani defended.

He continued that their election is just around the corner and people have been contracted to malign some of them, further saying all those ploys would not work.