NDC FIGHTS OVER ¢2BN DONOR’S CASH

… Konadu’s name pops up

By Simmons Yusif Kewura & Daniel Nonor

Mrs. Rawlings

THE alleged claim by the Wayome brothers (Alfred and Kobby Wayome) and Herbert Mensah, a football administrator, that they financed the last batch of supporters who were airlifted to South Africa to cheer the Black Stars to the tune of $1.5 million, has incurred the wrath of the national leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who are challenging their claim.

A source close to the party told The Chronicle that the trip, which cost GH¢500,000 and not $1.5 million (about ¢2.1 billion), was solely financed from the party coffers and was, therefore, surprised by the claim made by the three that they financed the trip.

The source further told The Chronicle that the Wayomes and Hebert Mensah were only trying to capitalize on the trip to do public relations work for Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, who is eyeing the NDC flag bearer position for the 2012 elections. According to the party source, the three gentlemen just wanted to create the impression that Nana Konadu cared more for the supporters than anyone else.

When The Chronicle contacted Mr. Asiedu  Nketiah, popularly known as ‘General Mosquito’, he said it was the party that sponsored the trip. He, however, refused to go into details because “I’m yet to inform my executive on the total amount used, and for that matter I would not comment further until I meet with them to brief them on the matter.”  The Wayome brothers told this reporter that they were in a meeting, when this reporter contacted them at their South Africa base, to get their side of the story. Though they promised to get back to The Chronicle in two hours time to explain their side of the story, they failed to do so at the time of going to press. However, several attempts to get back to them proved futile, as they failed to pick our call.

The conflicting report as to who sponsored the trip and the amount involved prompted the Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF), a pressure group, to call on the President to set up a committee to investigate the source of the funds used to finance the trip
Both Hon. Elvis Afryie Ankrah, the deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development and Mr. Yaw Gyan, National Organizer of the NDC, told The Chronicle sometime ago that some individual philanthropists sponsored the stranded NDC Black Stars supporters. But this was sharply challenged when other party bigwigs alleged that some banks, including the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) and National Investment Bank (NIB) were behind the sponsorship.

Meanwhile, reports reaching The Chronicle indicate that over 150 Ghanaian football fans, sponsored by the government to South Africa to support the Black Stars at the ongoing world cup finals have been left stranded, with their chances of returning to Ghana unknown.

The supporters, mainly National Democratic Congress supporters and foot soldiers are said to be leaving at the benevolence of a South African Hotel manager, who is still housing them, even though the contract between them and the Ghanaian officials has expired.
The reports further indicate that, the stranded fans have resorted to selling some of their personal belongings in order to feed themselves, as general conditions at the camp keep deteriorating by the day.

About 430 fans returned on Thursday night while the final batch was expected to arrive in Ghana by Saturday June 26, 2010, as government budgeted for 15 days stay for the fans in South Africa.

Giving an explanation to happenings back in south Africa on Peace FM’s morning show, Hon. Stephen Ackah, MP for Suaman in the Western region and a member of the planning committee,   explained that the fans first arrived in South Africa in a jumbo aircraft, with some 518 passengers on board, but noted that some three other groups later joined them, which automatically inflated the numbers.

According to him, the planning committee had budgeted for 1100 supporters, but also noted that the extra people who joined were accommodated. He explained that the arrangement for the jumbo jet to return the supporters could not materialize, thus compelling officials to transport the supporters in groups.

He added that some supporters who were not on the official list to South Africa managed to get on board the plane, leaving some legitimate ones behind.

Meanwhile, a deputy Minister of information, Samuel Okudzato Ablakwa has told The chronicle that the President has tasked a committee to see to return of the stranded supporters to Ghana. He was emphatic that the supporters would arrive back home at exactly 9.45 pm, today.