National Youth Leader of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP,) Divine Nkrumah, has asked Ghanaians not to pay taxes to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Mr. Nkrumah, who was reacting to the infamous comments made by deputy Sports Minister, Joseph Yamin, which stated emphatically that majority of supporters going to Brazil to cheer on the Black Stars will be members of the NDC; said if that is how the country is going to run, then no one should pay tax.
According to him, if the entire citizenry will pay taxes for a selected few to enjoy in this football season, then government should tax only its party members.
He wondered if other Ghanaians who are not members of the NDC yet pay taxes are not part of the country.
Mr. Nkrumah stressed that some 5 million people voted for the NDC while over 7 million people voted for the other parties.
“…does it mean, therefore, that only the 5 million people should be taxed?” Mr. Nkrumah asked.
“In any case, of the 5 million who voted for the NDC, how many of them are NDC card-bearing members?” he queried.
He charged government to collect moneys from its supposed party members and leave non-party members alone.
It will be recalled that Mr. Yamin said majority of the Ghanaian supporters who will be sent to Brazil to support the Black Stars for the FIFA 2014 World Cup will come from the governing NDC.
“If the responsibility is that we should send supporters to Brazil, then I will say it and say it again that everybody in Ghana will go but the majority will come from the NDC,” Mr. Yamin was reported to have said.
That statement, he explained, was in retaliation to the sending of mainly New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
He made the remarks after the Minister of Youth and Sports, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, had told journalists government has rescinded its decision to use taxpayer funds to fly 500 supporters to Brazil during the month-long tournament.
Mr. Yamin stressed that “I know what the NDC supporters did to bring the NDC to power. They have to benefit from the party they brought to power.”
He recounted that “in 2006, people about 250 I’m told, I don’t have any record to prove this. They only counted 7 people from the NDC out of 250 reported.”
