Blay acquired 275 buses 'through a facility' – Campaign Team

The Campaign Team of Mr. Freddie Blay has said the National Chairman aspirant of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) acquired the now-much-talked-about 275 buses, with which he intends to “empower” the party, “through a facility”.

In a statement signed by Mr Blay’s spokesperson Richard Nyamah, the campaign team of the Acting National Chairman, said the buses were not a “gift” to the party, adding that they were procured as part of the former Ellembelle MP’s quest to make the party viable business-wise, whether in power or not.

“Mr. Blay has indicated his belief in the NPP foundational principle of a property-owning democracy. To actualise it, he emphasised 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 statement clarified, in response to moves by the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) to drag the former First and Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament to the Commissioner on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) as well as the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) for allegedly seeking to buy votes with the bus move.

The GII is also seeking to find the source of funding for the procurement of the buses.

Read the full statement of Mr. Freddie Blay’s Campaign Team:

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 actualise it, he emphasised 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.

a. That he will arrange for a facility to the tune of GHS 100,000 Ghana Cedis each for all constituency women organisers to buy made-in-Ghana prints in their constituencies to help revive the print industry.

b. 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 [programme] among other entrepreneurial policies that the government is introducing.

He emphasises 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 programmes of the government since the NDC does not believe in them and will only shoot such programmes 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 wrongdoing. 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)