By Franklin Kwaku Atiase
Accra, The three-member committee inaugurated by the Standing Committee of the People’s National Convention (PNC) to investigate funds meant for the party’s Election 2012 campaign activities has uncovered a “milking machinery,” of the party set-up by two camps within the party.
The committee is led by former PNC Member of Parliament for Sisala West, Mr Harunah Bayariga, was tasked to investigate Election 2012 funding. The committee is expected to submit its report by the end of this month.
According to sources close to the Committee, told this reporter in an interview that the PNC Milking Machine’s operational directives, includes using the party and personal connection with leading members of both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) to solicit for huge sums of money for the PNC’s support in the election.
According to the source, in Election 2012, a segment of the PNC Milking Machine led by Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, National Chairman approached a leading member of the NDC to negotiate for GH?50.00 for each PNC party agent. The agreement was that each PNC party agent was to be given GH?50.00 each on Election Day.
The sources said Alhaji Ramadan was also give an amount of GH?60,000.00 and an ash coloured 4x4 car after pledging to support the NDC campaign in the Eastern and Ashanti regions. The sources also alleged that Alhaji Ramadan was later accused by the NDC of flirting with the NPP due to his relation with Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. The sources said the NDC discovered that because of the PNC chairman's relation, he is easily accepted among the hierarchies of the NPP.
The Standing Committee comprises the national and regional executives, as well as regional secretaries.
Meanwhile the PNC Policy Analyst Mr Atik Mohammed, explained that the committee was set-up to investigate how money meant to aid the 2012 campaign activities were used and therefore as part of measures to account for the campaign funds.
“That three-member committee is supposed to investigate money that was given to some specific people in the name of the party and how come they did not spend the money as required,” he said
Mr Atik said the PNC leadership also proposed the need to have a strategic plan for the party, saying that “this will serve as a guide for us into election 2016, as we all resolve that it is important to begin to strengthen our structures, expand the base of our organisation, so that PNC becomes that electable and formidable party in the next elections.”
The Committee chairman Mr Bayariga has also explained that the committee’s approach will be different from that of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) who named and shamed their 2012 Presidential candidate, Dr. Abu Sakara Foster and some national executives of the party cited in a similar situation.
“Our leader, who founded the PNC, Dr. Limann was corrupt free; it is on record and so we will not let ours come out like that of the CPP; we want to treat it as an internal issue and if we are not able to reach any final agreement with the people involved we will have no option than to let the public know the outcome of our investigations.”
