In keeping with the unholy tradition of corrupting and undermining the moral authority of the Members of Parliament of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) so as to keep them permanently pliable and compliant to his dictates, President J. A. Kufuor at the end of the last session of Parliament, paid to every NPP Member of Parliament a whopping (?10,000,000) ten million cedis each on the Thursday before Parliament adjourned for the Christmas holidays.

This amount, as on previous occasions, was shared at the Residency of Hon I. C. Quaye, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, on the blind side of the Minority NDC Members of Parliament.

Ghana Palaver Parliamentary Watchers were informed that the NPP Members of Parliament whose attendance at the sittings of Parliament was most appalling during the last session, were fully represented on Thursday 18th December and provided the numbers needed to push through the Investment Agreement between Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd, Golden Ridge Resources Ltd and Rank Mining Ltd on the one hand and the Government of Ghana on the other hand, which was strangely brought to Parliament on the last sitting day of the House, obviously to prevent its close scrutiny.

Immediately after the approval, the Majority Leader turned and signalled his members to sit down for a special announcement. Having gotten the attention of his expectant members, he informed them to congregate at the Residency for special packages from President Kufuor.

The special packages for the NPP MPs excluded the T&T that was paid to all MPs, the highest of which was in the region of ?1.5 million.

The question that arises is the source of these "below the table" funds that President Kufuor is constantly and gratuitously doling out to his loyal members. Some believe these to be part of the huge mark ups and kickbacks received from the various investment and business activities that the NPP has gotten involved in, such as the Sahara Deal, the Inspection Contract Deal, the Interberton deal at the Ports, the Peugeot Saga and various other deals that THE president refuses to have investigated.