….Cites change of mind
The Herald is picking up reports about some turmoil among the Greater Accra Regional Executives of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), over rent payments which is threatening the internal cohesion.
Party elders in the region, led by one Danny Annan, is said to be busy trying to have the matter resolved.
Emmanuel Nii Ashie Moore, the NDC Regional Chairman, is said to have taken back some GHS50, 000 he claimed to have donated to offset part of the accumulated rent of the party’s regional office, saying he has changed his mind.
The development is said to be creating confusion amongst the Regional Executives of the NDC with many wondering how he could change his mind and take back the money after the storm he created with payment to help offset the rent totaling US$38,000.
The need to pay the rent has become necessary after the owners of the property, which is located in the South Labadi Estate area in the Accra metropolis, mounted pressure on the newly elected NDC leadership in the region to have it settled.
Until the new leadership came to office, the rent was kept under wraps, although there have been contributions by well-meaning members of the party towards its payment.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Baghin, supported the region with GHS100,000, when the issue was brought to his attention.
Nii Ashie Moore, appealed to other party members, especially those in the diaspora, who hail from the Greater Accra Region, to also come and support in paying the rest of the rent of the regional office.
The NDC Regional Chairman, had further promised to build an ultra-modern office to end the rent issue.
But The Herald is informed that the GHS50, 000 donated by the NDC Regional Chairman, has been taken back since it was his personal money and he was at liberty to change his mind.
There has also been some confusion over some donations made by some supporters of the party which was to help clear the rent but although the monies were taken from the party’s bank account, it did not go to the owners of the property; Daniel Fumey Amedekey and John Amedekey Grey-Theriot, who are the administrators of the late Kate Awo Amedekey.
The law firm of Dennis Eyram Fumey, whose lawyers of the owners of the property has been on the tail of the NDC regional executives demand the rent or face eviction.
Reports available to The Herald is that one of the executives took the money from the party’s coffers to go and settle the debt, however, the money did not get to the lawyers.
Some of the executives were said to have insisted on transferring the money for the accounts of the party to that of property owners but this was turned down by one individual who insisted on carrying cash to the owner but it has since emerged that the all the cash did not get to the destination.
The donation, which he said was from his personal resources, was a contribution to defray the legacy debt of the office rent amounting to US$38,000
. “As we speak, I have donated an amount of GHS50,000 towards the settlement of part of the rent arrears of our regional office,” Nii Ashie Moore told journalists during an interview in Accra.
“We recently received similar support from the Speaker of Parliament who happened to be one of our Fathers of our Party, the Great NDC,” Nii Ashie Moore said.
He gave an assurance to lead in building a regional party office during his four-year term as Regional Chairman.
He said: “I’m assuring our party supporters that by the end of my four-year mandate as Regional Chairman, we should have our own office, built for our activities. We cannot keep on spending this huge sum of money renting. So, by 2024-2025, we should start something for our office. “Even if I don’t complete it before my mandate ends, at least, there will be a building site for that purpose.”
According to NDC Greater Accra Regional Chairman, plans were far advanced to put up a permanent Regional NDC office to avoid the future occurrence of such rent arrears. He expressed his commitment to ensuring that the party has a place conducive for meetings to prepare for the 2024 general election.
More to come!
