NDC Outdoors $20m Office

The $20m NDC office complex
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) yesterday commissioned its controversial four-storey office complex building at Adabraka in Accra.

General Secretary of the party—who had severally denied that the building belongs to the NDC—Johnson Asiedu Nketia, popularly known as General Mosquito, declined to answer probing questions from journalists that were invited to the location to cover a press conference at the new office yesterday. However, DAILY GUIDE wasnot invited .

Even though the building is speculated to have cost the governing party over $20 million, reports have it that General Mosquito declined to confirm or deny the claim, except to arrogantly say, 'If you want any information from our office or indeed from anybody, you don't go putting wrong information into the media first and be calling us to respond.'

He articulated, 'I have said that whoever says NDC has built a $20-million office or NDC is moving into a $20-million office, complex that may be his business. He may not be referring to this office, so I cannot be answering questions about a           $20-million mansion because I don't know where it is located. So this is a new office we have acquired.'

However, he explained that upon strategic calculations, the party realised that a new office complex would be better than maintaining their previous office located at Kokomlemle adjacent the popular Paloma Hotel and Restaurant in Accra, and continuing to pay rent.

With yesterday's outdooring of the complex, the party has commenced business from the new office, as it has made allocations to key and influential members of the NDC leadership, including President John Mahama.

Allocations
Fresh pictures of the building emerged Sunday afternoon indicating the departments that had been created at the new offices and those allocated to respective officers of the party, including the national executives.

It subsequently went viral on the social media, prompting many, including political watchers, to question the sincerity of the party and the government over the several denials and the source of funding for such a gargantuan project.

Before the NDC came to power in 2009, it was facing ejection from its Kokomlemle rented headquarters over unpaid rents.

Two years in government, the party has put up the magnificent building, only to deny its ownership when public attention was drawn to it.

Credibility Crisis
This has caused many to question the credibility of the leadership of the NDC, which has President Mahama as its leader, in this whole affair. National Organiser of the NDC, Yaw Boateng Gyan, wants Ghanaians to believe that some rich men in the party, whose names he refused to disclose, constructed the building after the several denials.

Almost five months ago, DAILY GUIDE reported that the NDC was on the verge of occupying the said building, which funding remains a mirage.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu