Former General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, is lamenting the party’s deliberate neglect to pay him back money that he lent for the running of its head office when he was General Secretary.
In an interview on Asempa FM’s ‘Ekosi Sen’ talk show, Agyepong reveals that the refusal by the party to pay him back is part of general mistreatment he has been enduring, including the party’s refusal to pay his SSNIT contributions which he earned as General Secretary, as well.
“When I became General Secretary, there was only Ghc89 in the account. First month, Abankwa is still there as a treasurer, me and him, I had to take my own money to pay the workers in the party headquarters, I’m telling you. I walked to an ECOBANK branch at Nima and withdrew the money,” Agyapong lamented.
“When you come to the office, I changed the tiles and everything, some people even said I was planting juju in the office, I changed all the tiles and furniture, even television with my own money. I have done it several times, even from childhood, I have been contributing to the party. I did not ask anyone anything because I was aware that the party had no money.”
He adds that he has written to the party’s Chairman, Freddy Blay, several times about the debt owed him along with unpaid SSNIT contributions but he has only been ignored.
“I have written to the Chairman and told him that, “Chairman Blay, you are about to go out. I don’t want this to drag on beyond you. For what it’s worth, there is a gap in my SSNIT contribution and so if even you will not pay me at all at least pay my SSNIT contribution. Because the General Secretary of the party is the only full-time employee of the party and all of them have benefited,” said Agyapong.
Kwabena Agyepong was suspended in 2015 with the party’s former National Chairman, Paul Afoko, and a former National Vice Chairman, Sammy Crabbe for misconduct.
Kwabena Agyepong was found guilty of violating Article 3(d) of the party’s constitution, which requires members to uphold the party’s decisions.
He was also accused of engaging in “unilateral actions and activities without consultation with or seeking authorization from the NEC.”
Kwabena Agyepong assisted in pushing President Akufo-Addo’s political ambition, despite his suspension.
He toured all the 16 regions of the country with Nana Akufo-Addo during the 2020 election campaign.
In May 2021, he was restored as a member of the party when they lifted the suspension on him.
The decision was arrived at after a marathon National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
The lifting of the suspension restores him as a member of the party’s NEC, Steering Committee, and the National Council according to the party’s constitution
Source: whatsupnewsghana.com