AGYEMANG KONADU BACKS RAWLINGS

“I really should not come and sit here and decide who is justified or who is not, but my husband has run this country for 18 years and he can see when something is going down the hill. He can feel it,”.

By Bismark Bebli  & Daniel Nonor

Ex-president Jerry Rawlings (left), President Atta Mills (middle), Mrs. Rawlings (right)

THE FORMER First lady, Mrs. Konadu Agyemang Rawlings has mounted a strong defence for her husband, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings over his criticisms of the President John Evans Atta Mills’ government.

According to her, though she is not the right person to talk about the justification of her husband’s criticism of the Mills administration, she explained that the former President does so because he expresses the feelings of the people.

Mrs. Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, also the first Vice National Chairperson of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) contended that her husband’s comments against the government are based on realities, and not just for the sake of critique.

‘I really should not come and sit here and decide who is justified or who is not, but my husband has run this country for 18 years and he can see when something is going down the hill. He can feel it,” she said.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show yesterday, hosted by Mr. Evans Mensah, the former first lady said her husband receives a number of text messages and calls about developments all over the country.

She declined to comment any further on her husband’s consistent attacks on President Mills’ administration,’ adding -“I hope it is good for me to leave it like that.”

Touching on her relationship with President Mills, she underscored that she hardly meets with the President, except at official programmes, adding that she and her husband had separate relationships with the President.
According to the NDC Vice chair, when her husband was propelling President Mills to his current status, there was no indication that it was done by the former first family. “It is important to note that we have always had separate relationships with President Mills. When my husband was propelling him … and helping him to get to where he is today, he did not say, my wife and I ….”

On whether she often meets with President Mills, she said “Hardly, if there is a programme that he has to be there, then we meet, but he has not called us as a team. I think it is his prerogative.”

Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, the President of the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM) noted that as part of courtesy, the leadership of the NDC, the Functional Executive Committee (FEC), met with the President after the elections and paid their respect and compliments, and insisted that President Mills had not invited them as a team for discourse.

Speaking on the future of the NDC, she observed that it was still bright, but was quick to hint that the events that led to the victory of the NDC are still prevalent. “I believe that the issues that we fought for are still relevant.

They are still there. The problems are still there. The thieving has not stopped, unless we want to make it a natural thing for a politician to rob the state,” she intoned.

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings,  recently received massive support from members of the party to unseat President Mills and to eventually lead the NDC in the 2012 general elections, of which she has kept an open silence.

The former first lady spoke on a wide range of issues, including her 31st December Women’s Movement.

Speaking on the role of women in politics, she claimed that during the NDC regime in 1996, a document was presented to parliament to ensure that 40% of women were given positions in various public institutions.

It has been barely five months since the Ridge residence of the former first family was gutted by fire, but it seems the former family is still grappling with issues of accommodation.

Asked how the family has been coping after the fire incident, the former fist lady said she has since been putting up with her mother, while her husband is also staying in a family village at Tefle, near Sogakope, a situation she says is making life very difficult.

According to her, her husband has had to bear with the inconvenience of commuting from his “village” to attend meetings in Accra “and that has been very difficult.

It is not good for marriage life, it is not good for partnership, it is not good for family life and it is not good for anything. It is not easy but we are coping,” She noted.

GIVE US CONTRACTS OR FORGET 2012

“Judging by the actions of the government and its officials, we are contemplating withdrawing our financial support base for the party, unless our problems are addressed. The period where the baboon dey work, and the monkey dey chop, is over.”

By: Bismark Bebli

THE financiers of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have threatened to withdraw support for the party in the 2012 elections, if the government fails to award them contracts.

They are accusing the government of stabbing them in the back, after they had doled out huge sums of money to support the campaign of the party, which helped to wrestle power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to them, after they had sacrificed financially for the return of the NDC to power, the government had left them alone to determine their own destinies, while certain moves were being made by leading members of the government to back known opposition businessmen.

The spokesperson for the aggrieved NDC business kingpins, Alhaji Ibrahim Mumuni, told this paper that they were disappointed with the government, taking into account the alleged subtle attempts to support the opponents of the government at their expense.

“It is disappointing that we have been left to our fate. In fact, we have completely been relegated to the background. Some of us have financed the party, and today, you cannot get any support from the government, let alone any contract. It is a pity for us.
For close to two years into the reign of the NDC, it seems to us that we are still in opposition. What is this?” he asked.

Sounding a warning to withdraw their financial support from the party, and to develop a cold feet towards the activities of the party, Alhaji Ibrahim Mumuni, says enough is enough, and that they had been treated with the utmost impunity.

“It is not they say, we have seen a number of attempts by government to support known NPP businessmen, and we just want to sound this warning to the government that it is digging its own grave, ahead of 2012 general elections, because we cannot work for baboon to come and chop.”

Claiming that they had been made a laughing stock by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) members, he noted, “we cannot suffer for the party, and the party would neglect us to the advantage of our opponents.

We have now been made a laughing stock. We know ourselves in the industry, and most of our colleagues in NPP do laugh at us, and sometimes say, but you people say your party is in power, but you are still in opposition,” he said.

Ibrahim Mumuni, in a company of five other NDC business tycoons, who declined to mention their names for obvious reasons, stated: “Judging by the actions of the government and its officials, we are contemplating withdrawing our financial support base for the party, unless our problems are addressed. The period where the baboon dey work, and the monkey dey chop, is over.”

The spokesperson, who stated that some of them had been frustrated by government officials, who most often refused to pick their calls, said they could not believe that after close to two years, the government cannot create room for them to work.

Asking this reporter to go the airport, harbour and many other notable places, he said, “Yes, the NDC promised to create jobs. We are not saying they should sabotage the jobs of our colleagues in opposition, as the NPP government did to us, but they should stop supporting known opposition businesses.

Go to airport, go to harbour, go and check most of the destination inspection companies, and even some waste management companies, you would realise that the government is seriously backing them, and these companies, some of us know, were formed by the opposition sympathisers.

The NPP grounded all our businesses, and that was why we have fully supported the NDC with all our strength, cash, and time to ensure the victory of the NDC, but no, it looks as if we are still in opposition.”

The Chronicle

GOV’T EXPOSES KONADU

… As she and husband turned down two offers

By Bismark Bebli

aThe gated private residence of Mr. Rawlings at Adjiringano, East legon, Accra

The assertion made by the former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings about government’s ineptitude in providing them with accommodation after fire gutted their residence five months ago, might not entirely be true.

According to government sources, two residential offers were made to the former first family for consideration, but they turned them down, indicating their preference for a rented place or a reconstruction of the Ridge house at their own specifications.

The government has clearly stated that since the fire outbreak at the Ridge Residence of the former first family, it has been in consultation with them over the re-allocation of a new place. “Government would like to state that after the fire outbreak at their Ridge premises in February this year, it has done everything within its power to ensure that Ex-President Rawlings and his family are properly re-settled.”

In a statement signed by the Minister of Information, Hon. John Tia Akologo, in response to remarks by Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, who is also the first Vice National Chairperson of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC),“ the Government has been in constant touch with members of the Ex-President’s team, who have indicated a preference for reconstruction of the burnt Ridge premises.

“Government has taken the necessary steps to ensure that this is done and is awaiting certain information from the Ex-President’s team, to be able to conclude arrangements to ensure that reconstruction commences.” the statement noted

Mr. John Tia further hinted that the Ex-President’s preference for a rented facility for the period, while the Ridge premise was reconstructed, was also taken on board by the government, but “This was after certain options offered by government had been rejected.”

According to the Minister, the government has been awaiting specification of the preferred premises of the former first couple, adding that government is prepared to bear the bill of the rent.

According to him, the former first lady was aware of all the efforts that the government has made to resettle the family. “This government wishes to state categorically that it remains committed to its responsibilities towards the Ex-Presidents of our dear country.”

Earlier in the day, a deputy Minister of Information, James Agyenim Boateng told    Joy FM, an Accra based radio station stated that the government had proposed one of the AU Village accommodation and the house of the former National Security Minister, Mr. Francis Poku, but both were turned down by the Rawlingses.

According to Mr. James Agyenim Boateng, Mrs. Konadu rejected the former residence of Francis Poku and opted to ‘perch’ in her mother’s house, until the government reconstructs the Ridge residence for them.

He said, the family of Mrs. Rawlings had indicated that they wanted their house to be constructed to their taste, with their own contractors, adding that the government was still waiting for the contractors and their design.

A close pal of the former first couple, Mr. Herbert Mensah has, however, dismissed the suggestions that a house has been offered to the Rawlingses, which has been turned down. According to him, the report was misleading and mischievous.

Mr. Mensah, though admitted that AU Village was offered to the Rawlingses, but they rejected it on the grounds that the building was fraught with a lot of controversies.

Herbert, who indicated that he was privy to all the moves by the presidency to secure a place for the Rawlingses, commended some members in the office of the Chief of Staff for doing their best to get a place for the former first family.

“It is, however, not true that Mrs. Rawlings has rejected any house offered to them. It is totally inaccurate and misleading and mischievous. For the AU house, it is a non-starter because of the controversies surrounding the building. Mrs. Rawlings never said that she did not like that place, for people to say that the problem was with Mrs. Rawlings,” he said.
He however confirmed and commended the various roles being played by the government to re-settle Mrs. Rawlings.

Further checks conducted by this paper revealed that it was Mrs. Rawlings who indeed rejected the safe house of the former National Security Minister, Mr. Poku.

Mr. Kweku Baaku Jnr, the Managing Editor of the Crusading Guide, has hinted that the recent effusions of Nana Kondau Agyeman Rawlings were to whip up negative sentiments against President Mills, to suggest that the government does not care about their welfare.

According to him, the platform adopted by Mrs. Rawlings to cry for accommodation was inappropriate, saying if the former family was interested in helping President Mills’ government, they could have moved to their residence at Agyiriganno in the Greater Accra Region, until the government rebuilds the house for them.

The house of Mr. Rawlings was razed down by fire on February 14, this year. Mrs. Konadu Agyemang Rawlings on Wednesday bitterly complained of their lack of accommodation and expressed regret over how she has become separated from her husband, adding that while she ‘perches’ with her mother, her husband, Mr. Rawlings, stays in a ‘village house’ at Teffle, in the Volta region.

Source: The Chronicle

British Duped Ghana Millions Of Dollars In Bauxite Sale To Chinese

*Wanton Negligence and Grand Conflict Of Interest At Play In Officialdom *

Months of investigation has revealed traces of negligence and conflict of interest on the part of officialdom resulting in Ghana losing millions of US dollars over the sale of the Ghana Bauxite Company Limited (GBCL) to Bosai Minerals Group; a Chinese company.

The Chinese are already in the Western Region with their ships carting away huge tons of the nation’s bauxite, despite conflicting figures on the value of the transaction.

Preliminary findings by The Herald put the country’s loss close to $20 million from the sale of 80 per cent shares of TBAC ; majority shareholders -previously British Aluminum Company - to the Chinese group.

While the British group, based in Ireland, told Ghanaian officials that their 704,204 shares of Ghana Bauxite were being sold to the Chinese for US$10, 620 million, the Chinese on the other and were busily announcing that they were rather paying US$30 million for the minerals.

But in spite of these clear conflicting figures, both the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission have allowed the Chinese into the country and they are briskly siphoning Ghana’s bauxite to China with ships in apparent violation of constitutional provisions which is strict on a parliamentary approval of such transaction (Articles 268 and 269).

This reporter also discovered that the Natural Resources Ministry failed to exercise its oversight responsibility over the 20 percent shares in Ghana Bauxite hence left the British in cohort with their Ghanaian counterparts such as Fred Ohene-Kena, E. Appiah Korang,E. A. Sackey and B. Ackaah Gyasi who determine the share purchase price.

Players in the Aluminum industry told this reporter that with value of aluminum rising daily, Ghana could have reaped a fortune from the sale had the ministry been part of the evaluation of shares, especially taking into account the fact that the British has since 1997, not paid government any dividend.

Interesting discoveries made by The Herald revealed that Guinea Conakry, the world's number one source of bauxite got about US$1 billion on its extraction, while Guyana and Australia, where TBAC operates under the name Rio Tinto have all made fortunes out of the extraction of the aluminum ore, and Ghana remains the only country which is losing out.

*Fred Ohene-Kena’s Conflict of Interest *

In the center of the deal is no less a person that the chairman of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Fred Ohene-Kena, who incidentally doubles as a director of Ghana Bauxite; a clear case of conflict of interest.

A letter dated September 25, 2009 and sent to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, and copied to the Minerals Commission boss, Mr. Ben Aryee, bears Mr. Ohene-Kena’s name as one of the directors of the British company.

He is mentioned within government circles to have lobbied for a quick approval for the Chinese to take over the concession, despite the conflicting figures.

Mr. Ohene-Kena, sometime last year, admitted in an interview with this reporter who was then working with The Enquirer that he pushed for the transaction to go through, even though, personally, he had no knowledge at all of the price the mine was being sold to the Chinese.

The former minister at the time insisted he was pushing for the sale of the mine to the Chinese in “the national interest” since there is an imminent closure of the mine if the shares are not offloaded to the Chinese on time.

He disclosed that, as the chairman of the Minerals Commission, he informed the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources about the interest of Bosai Minerals, and got Alhaji Collins Dauda to obtain cabinet’s approval for it to be sent to parliament, but a difficulty pertaining to the under-invoicing came up against the company so the deal has hit a snag.

According to him, Ghana Bauxite has had some turbulent years, as the result of poor rail infrastructure, hence it was unable to haul huge quantities of the bauxite it had wanted to. This, according to him, explains why the company has not been able to pay government its dividend for some years now. He said the Chinese have indicated their preparedness to improve upon the rail infrastructure in the mine area, and to him “this is good for the economy.”

*Fraudulent Acts Of TBAC *

According to information gathered by this paper, the Ghana Bauxite published in their audited account that they had incurred a loss of US$7.335 million during the year ended 31st December 2008, and, as of date, its liabilities exceeded its assets by US$16,913. Consequently, they had to obtain a loan of US$10.5 million funding from their parent company to support the operations of the company for the year ended 2009.

Meanwhile at the time when the TBAC took over the management of the company, the assets of the company exceeded the liability by US$4,120,000. However, by December 31, 2008, its liabilities exceeded its assets by US$16,913 million as a result of mismanagement.

As proof of the unprofitable operations of the company, TBAC sought for a US$10 million to support the operations of GBC from their parent company.

To conceal the fraudulent activities, the company failed to comply with the provisions of Section 122(7) of the Companies Code by consistently not filing the Annual Returns and had therefore been suppressing revenue from the export of bauxite.

Further investigations reveal that TBAC sells and fixes prices of products for export to themselves through the use of Alcan Trading Limited, one of the outlets of Rio Tinto group of companies of which TBAC is a member. This way, TBAC through Alcan Trading Limited, re-invoices sales parcels to third parties in contravention of Ghana’s Exchange Control Laws.

Notably, whereas by Article 10 of a Bauxite Sale Contract between the Government of Ghana and TBAC provided that the price at which bauxite is to be sold shall be calculated on a quarterly basis and to be determined by reference to the London Metal Exchange (LME), Rio Tinto Alcan, the parent company of TBAC has executed an agreement with Bosai to produce and sell to them 600,000 tons of bauxite per annum at a fixed price of US$30.00 per metric ton for the next three years, with export contracts on behalf of GBC signed on its behalf by officers of Alcan Chemicals Europe based in Ireland.

More interestingly, Alcan Chemicals, the principal buyers of GBC’s ore, apart from buying for its own use, buys the ore and re-invoices the third parties using the true market price.

Source: By Larry-Alans Dogbey

Tony Aidoo pushes for prosecution of alleged NDC fraudster

Dr. Tony Aidoo     Dr. Tony Aidoo, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Castle is impressing upon the police to prosecute a man who allegedly used letter-heads from the Office of the President to extort monies from some state institutions. He argued that, despite suspicions that the alleged fraudster is a sympathiser of the ruling party, anyone caught in an attempt to defraud must face the law. The suspect whose name was given as Moses Maxwell is said to have allegedly used funds he raised, posing as the President’s Secretary, to finance the studies of some NDC foot soldiers in the United Kingdom. The suspect was arrested last Friday in a sting operation when he attempted to extort $5,000 from the Volta River Authority and mentioned some top officials apart from the President’s Secretary as people who are aware of his dealings. But Dr. Tony Aidoo told Joy News he has asked the police to go ahead and prosecute the suspect. “An official of the VRA informed me that they received a communication from somebody purporting that he is Mr Bebaako Mensah and that he wanted some money. They laid a trap and, more or less, caught the person. That is the end of the story. Those who break the law must face the law, it doesn’t matter where they are coming from.” Dr Tony Aidoo denied knowing the suspect and said his actions have put the image of the presidency into disrepute. He debunked claims that efforts are being made by some powers that be to ensure the suspect's release. “Why should they [at Castle] intervene, it is their integrity that is at stake and if you are an official at the Castle and your name is being misused for fraudulent purposes, I think it should be in your interest to see that such things do not occur and the best way is for the failed fraudster to face the law to serve as a deterrent to others,” Dr Aidoo told Joy News’ Elvis Adjetey. Public Relations Officer of the Greater Accra Region Police, Chief Inspector, Kwaku Dompreh, said the case is being investigated by he Ministries Police Station. He said the suspect is in custody and when enough evidence have been adduced against him, he would be charged for fraud. Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

NDC power struggle: President Mills should have acted better

There are reports that some leading members within the ruling National Democratic Congress are gearing to unseat President Mills as the flag bearer of the party come the NDC primaries. The circulation of such information confirms what some analysts have said regarding President Mills' style of governance. The president is recently quoted in some section of the media as saying the nation's energy providers cannot guarantee uninterrupted energy supply to the public during the upcoming Fifa World Cup tournament despite increase in energy tariff. Such a frantic statement coming from the president solidifies his personality as an honest man, but it also confirms him as someone who is incapable of helping the nation out of its troubles.

It is a fact that the president took over power at a time when Ghana's economy was suffering from the effect of the world economy crunch and that we did not expect the president to magically transform the nation over night. However, those of us who have watched the president closely have lamented over the vagueness in his administration, the lack of progress on every front of the economy and a complete lack of clear cut strategy to move the nation forward. From a distance the President seems to have a vision which is to make Ghana better for all her citizens, but he seems not to have a strategy to achieve his vision. By strategy I mean formulating and implementing the President's vision of a better Ghana through the establishment of policy priorities that will transform his ideas into deeds. The lack of strategy and his failure to make good his campaign promises have given argumentative ammunition to his critics within his own party and in the opposition.

What the president has failed to appreciate so far is the fact that election success does not mean political and economic achievement. At best the former could be used to achieve the latter, which means the president should have acted better and immediately commission his team to deliver on his better Ghana agenda the very day he entered office. But that did not happen because there was lack of strategy and policy direction from the president. Besides, a better part of 2009 was used to deal with ex-ministers of the Kuffour administration and the brouhaha surrounding those events diverted government's attention from some of the pressing issues that confronted the government and the nation. The end result is that we have been left with a nation where unemployment is still high and public services are barely functioning, making the hope of a better Ghana under President Mills increasingly elusive.

. 
To add insult to injury the Ministers who occupy the various ministries and departments seem not to know what to do with the power they have and their inaction has earned them the title 'Team B'. The ministerial reshuffle which took place a couple of months ago seem not have changed anything on the ground. 

What is more worrying is that the president's greatest enemy which is time is fast approaching. The president has just about two years to accomplish many of the promises he made to the electorates but given the limited time and the number of problems facing the nation there is no sign that he will be able to meet all of them. This I believe is the root cause of the power struggle in the party. The wrangling is between those in government who think they must be given the chance to continue what they are doing and those who think the government has not performed and that the NDC could lose the 2012 elections should the government current deplorable performance continue. The danger is that if the power struggle is not tamed it will consume the remaining time the administration has got to deal with the nation's problems. 

However, I believe all is not lost. The president, his strategists and advisors could use the remaining two years to do something practical by moving fast to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy with inbuilt policy priorities that will address some of the immediate challenges facing the nation. Such a strategy must have as its component the integration of all the necessary state institutions and the involvement of all stakeholders. 

As matter of urgency I will suggest that the persistent energy crisis (electricity and fuel) in the country must be given priority along side the internal security situation and the economy. If President Mills is serious about creating jobs then he must put to rest once and for all the serial power cuts that continue to force many companies to operate at half capacity due to unreliable electricity supply. The Energy Minister must work with Volta River Authority, ECG and other stakeholders to restore confidence in the energy market by addressing the issue of inefficiency, poor management and under capitalisation that continue to affect the operation of the energy suppliers.

The Ministry of Interior must be charged to work with the relevant state agencies to bring an end to the hostilities in the northern part of the country and to work with the Chieftaincy Department to address the many chieftaincy disputes since they have the potential to tarnish the reputation of the country and sink confidence that investors may have in the economy. 

The President must tell the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in plain language that lowering inflation alone will not meet the aspirations of unemployed Ghanaians who are looking for jobs. The president must task the National Development Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to live up to their names and build some credibility for themselves for Ghana cannot remain agrarian and poor country while these institutions tasked with planning the nation's development continue to exist only in name. These institutions must device some ingenious schemes that will revive the economy, create jobs and put money in the pockets of the people. 

In the short run President Mills must focus on building, renovating and expanding the infrastructures in the country since infrastructure building has the potential of creating jobs. 

Evidence from Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and China has shown that economic growth is dependent on level of technological development. Ghana cannot remain agrarian if we are to solve the teeming unemployment problem, eradicate poverty, hunger and improve the overall quality of life in the country. Therefore, in the long run, I will suggest that the president work assiduously to diversify Ghana's economy from its current reliance on raw material export to manufacturing, service, and knowledge based economy. Therefore, a ground work for export-driven industrial economy must be laid, through the adoption of a comprehensive export-driven industrial strategy. Such a strategy must make the development and acquisition of advanced technologies a priority so as to take advantage of the huge unexploited natural resources in the country.

By Lord Aikins Adusei
politicalthinker1@yahoo.com

Did Mills lie to Ghanaians on his South African trip?

President Mills and the Black Stars in a pep talk   The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is questioning the 'real' reason underpinning President J.E.A. Mills' present trip to South Africa. The president left Ghana Thursday night for South Africa for what official communication says is a bilateral discussion. The NPP says while a government statement on the trip says that President J.E.A. Mills will be meeting that country’s president, information available to it indicates that the very day President Mills is scheduled to meet with Mr Jacob Zuma, Mr Zuma is travelling with senior members of his government to Canada. The NPP’s Communications Director, Kwaku Kwarteng, said if the president is going to that country – his second in two weeks - for medical treatment, the government should be bold enough to say it. But the government believes the arguments are fatuous and the concerns misplaced. According to Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the government statement on which the NPP is grounding its argument did not specifically say that the president was going to meet Mr Jacob Zuma. For him, the South African government is not limited to the person of Mr Zuma and that President Mills will be meeting with the Vice-President of South Africa. While in South Africa, President Mills is also expected to watch the Black Stars do battle with the United Stars in the 1/16 stage of the 2010 World Cup. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

NDC fights over ¢2bn donor’s cash…Konadu’s name pops up

Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development         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