Challenges Alan In Last Minute Money Game

If you ever though that former Minister of Trade and Industries, Mr. John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen is the only NPP presidential aspirant who sees his bid for the flagbearership as an investment and therefore throws money about, then you are mistaken. The Chronicle can report on authority that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, another leading contender in the NPP race is neck deep in “moneycracy.”

With less than 30 days to go to the National delegates Conference, Nana Akufo Addo is learning the strategy of Alan Cash very fast and thus exposing the hypocrisy of the former minister who has publicly criticized the extravagant campaign of fellow aspirant who goes by the name of Cash. Last Friday, the former Foreign Affairs Minister met 30 out of the 39 constituency chairmen in Ashanti region richer by GH¢1,000 when he met these selected chairmen and four of their executives. The invitees included the constituency chairmen, secretary, organizer, youth organizer, women organizer.

Two of the uninvited chairmen, Messrs. Baidoo and Kwesi Nti for Obuasi and Fomena respectively managed to sit in the meeting when it was almost over but went home with a cool GH¢1,000. Chronicle sources at the meeting also indicated that each of the four executives also received GH¢250 making it a total of GH¢2,000 for every selected constituency. At the close of the secret meeting at Washington View Hotel at Achawkrom near Ejisu, Nana Akufo Addo had doled out GH¢64,000 (¢640 million) to the party executives before he left for Accra without touching Kumasi. Constituency chairmen invited by phone for the Achawkrom meeting were those for Tafo, Suame, Manhyia. Kumawu, Effiduase, Bantama, Asawase, Kwadaso and Tepa among others.

Conspicuously absent were Nana Adu Asabre (Asante Akim North), Mr. Kofi Adjei (Nhyiaeso), Dapaah(Ahafo Ano South), Opare (Asante Akim South), Asare Baffour ( Atwima Mponua) and Asare Bediako (Asokwa). Nana Kofi Owusu, the beleaguered constituency chairman for Atwima Nwabiagya could not have been at the meeting because he is currently contesting his right as a constituency chairman following his suspension by the Regional Executives Council from holding himself as such.

Some of the constituency chairmen expressed surprise at the selection as all constituency chairmen were invited to the national launch of Nana Akufo Addo’s campaign at the centre of National Culture in Kumasi recently. Those not invited are believed to be in the camp of Alan Cash and therefore not in the good books of the Akim Abuakwa MP. Nana Oppong, the Ashanti regional campaign coordiantor for Nana Akufo Addo has confirmed that there was a meeting of selected and "dependable"constituency chairmen and that there was"a token gift" for them all too. According to him, Nana Akufo Addo had decided not to equip other chairmen who were known to be in other camps with "weapons" against him hence his decision to be selective. The campign manager mentioned chairmen like Asare Bediako (Asokwa) and Kofi Adjei (Nhyiaeso) who had reportedly vowed to resign their position if Nana Addo emerges the flagbearer.

Addressing the potential delegates, Nana Akufo Addo told them to entrust the flagbearership of the party to a tried and tested candidate. He cautioned the executives against choosing an aspirant who had not even held the position of an assemblyman NDC will lose again and againHe also dissuaded them from objecting to DCE’s attending and voting at the National Delegates congress on December 22.

DANGOTE The former Foreign Minister a fortnight ago raised funds at the house his brother Edward Akufo Addo (alias Bumpty) at which Mr. Kofi Asante (Nana Asante Bediato) and his cousin Nana Yaa Ofori Atta, the girl friend of the Australian High Commissioner both displayed class and impressed upon the gathering that Nana Addo was going to win the Presidency and the sooner people got used to the idea, the better. A representative of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the commodity King in Nigeria, was quoted in the pro Akufo Addo paper, Sunday World as saying that a player in the Nigerian communications industry was the highest contributor at the fundraising dinner.

Aliko Dangote is known to be a ruthless shylock who demands and insists on getting his pound of flesh for every dollar he invests, and it is reckoned that opening up Ghana for billionaire like Dangote who is represented by Junior Randolph (the junior brother of the wife Nana Akufo Addo nee Rebecca Randolph Griffiths) in his cement bagging plant in Tema, is tantamount to exposing the country for powerful commercial interests from Nigeria who have already locked the country in a vice -like grip and cornered the commodity market for sugar and rice with their superior muscle that brooks no opposition.