Member of the Communications team of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has directed officials of state transport, Metro Mass Transport Limited (MMTL), to retrieve their GHC1.9m for the cost of a bus service it provided the party during the 2016 general elections, but allegedly failed to pay for the services from the National Organiser of the party, Kofi Adams.

According to the communicator, the General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, is the Chief Executive Officer, so any transaction entered without his assent and approval was null and void.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Kukruantumi programme last Saturday, May 6, 2017 the outspoken NDC communicator noted that the National Organiser of the party who doubled as the Campaign Coordinator for election 2016, campaign team entered the negotiation on his own but not the entire party and therefore, should be held responsible.

According to a pro forma invoice issued to the NDC after it had lost the general elections on December 7, last year, a total of GH¢1.921,896.99 was supposed to have been paid to the state transport company by the then governing party.

The pro forma invoice was sent to the party’s headquarters for the attention of the NDC National Organiser, Kofi Adams.

It has been the case that the NDC hired a total of 506 buses for its 2016 electioneering campaign but only paid GHC410,000 out of the GHC1.921,896.99 debt, in spite of a discount offered to the party.

Metro Mass had even given the NDC a 20% discount for using the buses between November 30 and December 9, 2016.

The original amount for using the 506 buses was GHC2.402,371.24 but were given an invoice of GHC1.921,896.99 as a result of the 20% discount.

But in an earlier reaction Kofi Adams emphasised that the NDC did not hire transportation service from the MMT.

It was on a ‘fare basis,’ he said, explaining that the service is the same as boarding a bus at a station.

“They just dropped the [supporters] and then came back…. If it was hiring, we hire you to take the people and bring them back,” he said.

Based on his understanding of the service, Kofi Adams said he raised questions about the invoice and asked for details.

“You can’t just say you provided 11 buses to Wa. What was the travel route of the buses?”

Kofi Adams said the party paid GHC410,000 ‘for the mean time’ pending a final determination over the cost.

Mr. Adams, who was the National Campaign Coordinator, said once the party is given better particulars of the service, the NDC would pay the difference or receive a re-imbursement if need be.

Following that December meeting, “they never came back with any details,” Kofi Adams said, a claim which was confirmed by the MMT Public Relations Officer.

In an unexpected move, Kofi Adams said the MMT wrote a demand notice to the party last April insisting on the payment of the debt.

Kofi Adams said the party has collated information about the number of buses used during the service period and it was not 506 as stated by the MMT.

“The number of buses is important in determining the total cost,” he added.