My cars meant to empower party members economically – Debrah Odoom

Elisha Debrah Odoom says his decision to give out cars to members of the New Patriotic Party at the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam Constituency was intended to make them economically independent.

In a statement released in Accra on Monday, Mr Debrah Odoom brushed aside reports that the cars were meant to induce delegates to vote for him during last Saturday’s parliamentary primaries.

He insists the move was rather intended to cure the myriad complaints of neglect and severe economic hardship by party delegates and foot-soldiers in the constituency.

“The idea was to help the party to become economically independent at the grassroot. Again, it was to cause the party to be highly attractive in the constituency ahead of election 2020.

‘’It is worth mentioning that polling station executives have been complaining about neglect after every election in the constituency,’’ he added.

It continued, “This special arrangement was “work-and-pay” kind as done in the normal scheme of things.

“The release and presentation of the cars was conditioned on the success of our candidature and as we speak now the cars have been sent back because having lost the election, we will not have the leverage to guarantee compliance of the payments schedule as agreed with the car-dealer’’.

There were earlier reports the vehicles were meant for the party but after losing, he has refused to gift the cars to the party as promised and rather directed the vehicles be towed from the venue of the event to his house, sparking controversy as to whether he was indeed determined to give out the vehicles or it was a mere gimmick.

He came third losing to the District Chief Executive (DCE) of the area, Rashid Kwesi Etuaful.

Below is Elisha Debrah Odoom’s full statement

STATEMENT TO CLARIFY THE REPORTED CAR GIFTS IN THE NPP PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF THE AJUMAKO-ENYAN-ESSIAM CONSTITUENCY

We write to unequivocally deny the allegation that we distributed cars to delegates at the just ended parliamentary elections at the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam Constituency.

Right from the beginning, the import of our campaign was to build on resourcing the party through the electoral areas in the constituency. In the light of this we proposed “one electoral, one business model”.

For business we meant cornmills, plastic chairs, mattresses and canopies for hiring, tricycles, cocoa spraying machines, taxis and other economic viable ventures that are indigenous to their localities, because I was exposed to the reality of the potentials of the people in the constituency, especially, the youth to be very productive and the fact that they lacked the capital, network and opportunity to connect to facilities and resources.

The idea was to help the party to become economically independent at the grassroot. Again, to cause the party to be highly attractive in the constituency ahead of election 2020. It is worth mentioning that polling station executives have been complaining about neglect after every election in the constituency.

Hence, our aim to resource and set them up. In as much as we desired to lead the party in the constituency to wrestle power from the NDC, there was the need to see the polling station executives being economically independent.

To this end, a special arrangement was made with a cardealership to procure ten small cars to be used as taxis to the benefit of all-party members and not just delegates in the nine (9) zones of the constituency.

This special arrangement was “work-and-pay” kind as done in the normal scheme of things.

The release and presentation of the cars was conditioned on the success of our candidature and as we speak now the cars have been sent back because having lost the election, we will not have the leverage to guarantee compliance of the payments schedule as agreed with the car-dealer.

Therefore, no delegate has been given a car as being reported in the media. And it is unfortunate that innovation has received a negative reportage.

That notwithstanding, we are still committed to supporting the party to deliver on the “one electoral area, one business” proposal as mentioned in our campaign.

Faithfully,

Elisha Debrah Odoom