Jake & Sir John Left US$2 Million Debt

Credible information, coming from the headquarters of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) says, the ex-National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, led by Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey and others in his administration, have emptied the coffers of the party, leaving behind a debt of Two Million United States Dollars. The party, which was able to marshal all manner of resources by importing paragliding pilots from Amsterdam, Netherland, to distribute paraphernalia of the party, during the 2004 and 2008 general elections, is broke and could not raise enough money to pay the administrative staff at the Asylum Down headquarters of the party. Meanwhile, reports are that a thorough audit, has been done into the accounts of the party and the new executives, have been issued with a very disturbing audit report, and are in the custody of some members of the party. According to party insiders, the issue of the coffers of the party being empty and its indebtedness, dominated the handing over meeting that took place at the Africa Regent Hotel also known as hotel �Waa Waa� or �Kufuor Hotel�, near the private residence of ex-President, John Agyekum Kufuor in the plush Airport West Residential Area, Accra. The meeting, which started on Thursday May 1, 2014 was carried over into Friday May 2, with the new executives, led by Chairman Paul Afoko worried about the deplorable state of the party, especially its finances going into the 2016 general elections. The new executives, were particularly amazed at how the party�s coffers was manned by the ex-National Treasurer, Madam Esther Ofori, a former Managing Director of the ailing Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited. The Herald learnt that what got the new executives blushing, was the gross misappropriation of the monthly dues from the over a 120 sitting Minority Members of Parliament (MP) led by Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu. Another interesting issue that sent tongues wagging and raised the temperature of the handing over ceremony, was the issue that the party has no single logistic at its disposal especially, vehicles, The Herald learnt. Even though it was on record that the parties bought thirty seven (37) new country vehicles, the papers to the vehicles are in the name of a withholding company, owned by Ken Ofori-Atta and a certain Oppong Bio and the Databank Company Limited. It is unclear, whether it was the same personalities and company, are the ones that Nana Akufo-Addo mentioned as those keeping the party�s cars. The whereabouts of the branded party cars and several motor bikes, provided by self-styled businessman and arrested drug baron, David Kwadwo Anim and some party well wishers, which could also not be accounted for by the old executives during the meeting. The Herald was also told that the ex-executives, could also not account for the funds that was accrued from the Tigo SMS raffle that asked party supporters to send a premium text message at the cost one Ghana Cedis (GH�1), to support the party financially. It will be recalled, how Kennedy Agyapong took on Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, then the NPP National Chairman accusing him and his Special Assistant, Brian Acheampong of stealing campaign logistics in the run-up to the Tamale National Delegates Conference, became a running battle. Mr. Agyapong, NPP Assin Central MP, went ballistic and called the ex-executive members thieves and urged the party delegates not to retain Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey and his colleagues in their re-election bid. Supporters of the ex-executives, hurled all manner of insults at the MP with fanatics on their side making a case for the party to drag him (Agyapong) before the Disciplinary Committee of the party for his unsolicited attacks on the executives. Just about a month down the line, The Herald has been told that at a handing over meeting to usher in the new executives, it emerged that the party has been raped dry with nothing left in its coffers. When The Herald called Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, to react to some of the allegations raised in the handing over notes, he did not pick all the calls placed to his MTN number, as well as a text message sent to him.