A majority of the 17 constituency Chairmen of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Central Region are fuming with anger at being asked to contribute ?1.5 million each towards the funeral of the late Member of Parliament for Gomoa East, Emmanuel Acheampong. They are angry because they claim not to have been compensated for their efforts in ensuring NPP’s success at the last elections.

At the receiving end of their anger are the Central Regional Minister, Isaac Edumadze and 12 District Chief Executives (DCE’s) who are perceived to wield the influence to decide that they be awarded contracts.

The decision to levy top party executives towards the late MP’s funeral as well as the upkeep of his children who have already lost their mother was taken at a meeting on February 15.

Besides the constituency Chairmen, the DCE’s and the party’s seven surviving MPs in the region including Mr Edumadze will contribute ?3 million each. While the constituency chairmen were lamenting, the DCEs agreed among themselves that the ?3 million being asked of them was in order.

A furious constituency chairman swore that most DCE’s would not pay the levy on their own since their favourite contractors would pick the bills.

Seven of the Chairmen who spoke to the Daily Dispatch newspaper disclosed that contrary to their expectations, most of them who spent their personal resources to fund the party’s campaign during the last elections have not been awarded even a single contract.

They explained that whereas it was wrong for any official to dip his hands into state coffers to reward party faithfuls, it was normal to reward persons who had sacrificed for the party’s success with contracts.