A whopping GH¢974,000 is alleged to have been spent by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on their demonstration in Kumasi against the intended compilation of a new voters’ register by the Electoral Commission (EC).
The huge amount is alleged to have come from the coffers of former President John Dramani Mahama who is also against the compilation of a new biometric register.
Since the EC announced its plans to compile a new biometric register in order to ensure credibility of the 2020 general elections, the NDC has been leading demonstrations under the guise of a coalition of political parties to get the commission to abandon the project.
Daily Guide has sighted a letter purportedly coming from the so-called coalition against new voters’ register to the office of the former president which requested and got approval for funds for the demonstration in Kumasi last Tuesday.
Per the letter, an amount of GH¢974,000, which in the old currency is close to a staggering 10 billion, was released by the ex-president and the NDC presidential candidate for the 2020 polls, to sponsor the action.
The letter, headlined ‘Request for Funds’ from Mr. Mahama for the Kumasi event was jointly signed by Bernard Mornah, the NDC-controlled PNC Chairman; Joshua Akamba of the NDC, Hassan Ayariga of APC, and Nana Agyenim Boateng aka ‘Gyataba’ of the UFP.
Dated January 10, 2020 and addressed to Mr. Mahama, the letter initially explained to Mr. Mahama that the Tamale edition of the demonstrations against the EC’s plan to come up with a new voters’ register had been held successfully.
It then went on to make a request for an amount of GH¢974,000 to enable the demonstrators to hit the streets of Kumasi with an expectant crowd of about 20,000 people to march in protest against the new voters’ register.
“Respectfully, we write to your noble office to request funds for the second edition of the demonstration of the inter-party resistance against new voter register which is slated for January 21, 2020 in Kumasi,” the alleged letter said, adding “the demonstration is expected to attract a mammoth crowd of about 20,000 participants.”
The letter gave the breakdown for the budget as “Accommodation 12,600, Transportation 400,000, Feeding 200,000, Media and Publicity 117,300, Logistics 120,000, Honorarium 120,000 and Contingency 5000.”
The office of the former president has not commented on the issue.
Demo Suspended
During the demonstration, NDC Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo said at the Jubilee Park that the party and its allies had decided to stop the nationwide demonstrations temporarily against the new voters’ register.
He explained that the Eminent Committee members were supposed to meet with the EC over the new voters’ register and the outcome of that crunch meeting would determine the next action of the NDC and its allies.
Source: ghananewspage.com