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| Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development |
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The 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 eying 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 journalists that they were in a meeting, when they were contacted 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 their calls.
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 Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development and Mr. Yaw Gyan, National Organiser of the NDC, told The Chronicle sometime ago that some 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 living 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 only 15 days stay for the fans to South Africa and said it would not take responsibility for any fan(s) who stayed in that country beyond the 15 days period.
Source: The Chronicle/Ghana |
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