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Pro- NPP pressure group, SAVE NPP NOW, has criticized the party’s flag bearer Nana Akuffo Addo for superintending over corruption within the party. The group said Mr Akufo Addo endorsed the siphoning of party funds into a secret unauthorized account for the purposes of sharing to his cronies and caring less about the party. According to the group the party’s flag bearer cannot purport to be an advocate of the fight against corruption when he himself is complicit in a matter like this.

At a heavily attended news confab Monday morning, the Convener of the group Baah Acheamfour said in the Ohene Ntow chaired committee report, the party’s flag bearer’s hands are soiled with corruption and therefore has a lot of explaining to do.

“Ladies and gentlemen what is even more shocking is that they stated that the siphoning of party funds into the illegal and unauthorized account was done with the explicit and express permission of the flag bearer Nana Akufo Addo. One wonders why Nana who is supposed to lead the party by example and campaign on the need to weed out corruption from our governance as a country will fully and without any hesitation endorse the diversion of party funds amounting to 5.2 million cedis into a secret Eco bank account.” 

Mr Acheamfour further alleged that the monies that have secretly been kept in an Ecobank account are being expended on the flagbearer, such as trips he embarks on, whether for party or private purposes. This development they find reprehensible and a slap on the face of the fight against corruption in our body politics.

“What is even worse is that as we speak today a huge chunk of those monies which were intended to be used for party activities in the constituencies and polling stations across the country have been unlawfully expended on the flag bearer’s numerous trips to the UK and elsewhere. Of course we have documentary evidence to prove this fact,” Mr Acheamfuor stated.

“Today in NPP, it is more expensive to maintain the travelling expenses of the flagbearer than maintaining the party machinery at the grassroots,” added Mr Acheamfuor.

He said the flagbearer has successfully created a situation where his personal needs and expenses take priority over the operational needs of the party. “Is this situation not frightening?” he asked.

Mr Acheamfuor revealed he had lodged a complaint with the police to investigate the misappropriation of funds in the party.

“I personally lodged a complaint with the Ghana Police Service, CID Division, urging them to fully investigate the alleged misappropriation of the party’s fund without recourse to due process, and the interest of the ordinary party member, The police service today is yet to make public their findings and to punish the perpetrators for committing such fraud on the party’s purse. Granted, as alleged by Freddie Blay and Amankwah Yeboah that they are in bed with the Police and will never and can never be investigated, why the deafening silence of our revered Council of Elders till date?”

 He added that, “If Ghanaians want to know the fate of the country’s finances under an Akufo-Addo presidency, they should look that the way he is superintending over the swindling of NPP’s party funds.”

It will be recalled that  media reports were rife with an attempt by some persons within the NPP to   cover up the thorny issue of a secret ECOBANK account being operated by the First Vice Chairman, Freddie Blay and National Treasurer, Kwabena Abankwa Yehoah, which is eating up the party.

The secret account, operated by the two individuals, was opened purposefully to hold the GH¢6 million, accrued from the recent parliamentary primaries of the NPP, without the knowledge and approval of the National Chairman, Paul Afoko, and General Secretary, Kwabena Agyapong.

At a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, an attempt to have Mr. Blay and Abankwa Yeboah, suspended from their positions pending an investigation into the matter especially and how the money has been mismanaged was vehemently rejected by Nana Akufo-Addo. Why?

Nana Addo reportedly rejected the suspension of the two individuals, because it was going to compound the crisis in the party. The 2016 NPP flagbearer, rather pushed for the establishment of a committee to investigate the matter.

The committee report cited by this newspaper made some damning findings against the First Vice Chairman, Freddie Blay and National Treasurer, Kwabena Abankwa Yehoah. It was established that there were indeed some unconstitutionality, misconduct and indiscipline on the part of certain national officers in the handling of the said funds, and in the general discharge of their duties.

The committee’s report stated that cheques ranging between GH¢ 1,000 to GH¢10,000 were issued, except for Mr. Abankwa-Yeboah who in the spate of two days (June 29, 2015 and June 30, 2015) withdrew a whopping GH¢ 600,000 in tranches of GH¢ 300,000 each for purposes yet unknown to the party.