The campaign team of the acting Chairman of the New Patriotic Party has clarified that the 275 buses promised by Freddie Blay to the 275 constituencies of the party are not for free.
Mr. Blay had stated that he is providing a bus to each of the 275 constituency arms of the party to be used for commercial purposes to raise funds for its operations.
According to him, the buses will be supplied before the party’s national executive elections on 7 July 2018.
Mr Blay explained on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen Programme on Friday, 11 May that: “I am supplying buses to all the constituency branches of the NPP. Each constituency will receive a bus from me personally for commercial purposes just to raise money for party activities.”
The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) asked the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) to investigate Mr. Blay, in connection with some 275 buses he intends gifting to the NPP for commercial purposes ahead of the party’s 7 July internal polls.
Programme Manager of GII, Mary Addah, said the move by Mr Blay is a clear case of vote-buying, a development that is against the electoral laws of the country.
But in a statement by the campaign team of Mr. Blay, the buses are not a gift to all the constituencies.
According to the campaign team, Mr. Blay has through a facility “acquired 275 buses for the 275 constituencies of the NPP in the country.
“The various Constituency Chairmen and Secretaries are to co-sign for each constituency. The said buses are to be run commercially by any bus operator in the country, a process we are currently negotiating on. The various constituencies will open bank accounts and pay monthly instalments,” the statement added.
Below is the full statement
RE: GHANA INTEGRITY INITIATIVE TO DRAG FREDDIE BLAY TO EOCO/CHRAJ
The attention of the Campaign Team of Mr. Freddie Blay has been drawn to an interview Madam Mary Adda, the Programmes Manager of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) granted to Peace FM on their Midday News of 14th May, 2018.
In the said interview, Ms. Adda mischievously and deliberately misrepresented and invented her own facts as to what Mr. Freddie Blay is supposed to have said in a couple of interviews to the effect that he has acquired 275 buses for each NPP Constituency in the country.
Mr Freddie Blay did NOT at any point in his interviews say that;
(1) He is giving the buses as gifts to the constituencies.
(2) He is by the buses seeking to influence them (delegates) to vote for him as Chairman of NPP.
(3) He is taking advantage of his incumbency as acting chairman of the party.
The Campaign Team will like to state the facts as follows;
Mr. Blay has indicated his belief in the NPP foundational principle of a property owning democracy. To actualize it, he emphasized that his MAIN objective as the next NPP National Chairman will be to empower the party and its members to own businesses and property for the party to be self-sufficient whether in government or not.
To this effect, Mr. Blay unveiled a business model to empower the various constituencies.
In this plan, Mr. Blay has through a facility acquired 275 buses for the 275 constituencies of the NPP in the country.
The various Constituency Chairmen and Secretaries are to co-sign for each constituency. The said buses are to be run commercially by any bus operator in the country, a process we are currently negotiating on.
The various constituencies will open bank accounts and pay monthly installments.
A portion of the proceeds are to be lodged into the constituency account for use by the constituencies for party activities. At the end of full payments, the buses become the property of the constituency, who are encouraged to buy new buses or invest the proceeds into other businesses to help finance the party at the constituency level.
Mr Blay will also want to assure the GII that as an astute lawyer and one who has been an active participant in Ghana’s democratic venture, he is aware of the law on gifts and has no intention of flouting same.
We want to take this opportunity to spell out other policies Mr. Blay has indicated he will spearhead if he becomes National Chairman after the July, 2018 delegates conference.
- That he will arrange for a facility to the tune of GH¢ 100,000 Ghana Cedis each for all constituency women organizers to buy made in Ghana prints in their constituencies to help revive the print industry.
- That he will encourage all party faithful and constituency executives to take active part in the One-District One-Factory policy, One-Village One-Dam among other entrepreneurial policies that the government is introducing.
He emphasizes that it is his vision for the NPP to be in power for 30 years and for this to be achieved, members of the NPP will have to own the projects and programs of the government since the NDC does not believe in them and will only shoot such programs down with propaganda. For Ghana to be transformed, the members of the NPP, according Mr. Blay, will have to prosper as evidence for all Ghanaians to believe and participate in our forward march.
We wish to indicate that Mr. Blay is the Acting Chairman of the NPP and until there is a new Chairman, he has the responsibility towards the party and its members.
We wish to urge Ms. Mary Adda and the Ghana Integrity Initiative to file a petition at the EOCO or CHRAJ or both if they feel strongly that Mr. Blay has engaged in any wrong doing. However, we will want to caution them not to allow themselves to be used by our opponents to do their bidding.
We will urge them to stay out of political propaganda and focus on their civil society role.
Long Live Ghana
Long Live NPP
#MAINTAINTORETAIN.
Spokesperson for Mr. Freddie Blay (Ag National Chairman NPP)
(Richard Nyamah)
