Stop the character assassination, sanitise your campaign in the interest of NDC

National Chairman hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johson Asiedu Nketia is accusing the incumbent, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo of spreading lies about him to make him unpopular.

In a release signed by Edem Agbana, spokesperson for the NDC General Secretary’s campaign, it says the team is aware of a series of lies and attacks on Asiedu Nketia’s character and person by Ofosu Ampofo and his campaign team.

Reacting to the claim that the General Secretary single-handedly picked a company and forced it on the Party to provide an electronic payment platform, the release by his campaign team says it is false.

It explains that the process to secure the services of an electronic payment platform provider was led by Deputy General Secretary Barbara Asamoah and went through due process.

“We want to emphasise that, at all times, it was Barbara Asamoah who received the bids, and submitted the shortlisted entities submitted to the Party’s committee for consideration.

“Therefore, the claims by the National Vice Chairman, in the presence of the National Chairman that Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah single handedly picked and dictated to FEC on the selected company are false and should be completely disregarded,” part of the release signed by Edem Agbana reads.

The spokesperson implores Samuel Ofosu Ampofo in the release that he should “sanitise his campaign in the best interest of the NDC.”

Meanwhile, Johnson Asiedu Nketia has urged all his supporters and the generality of the NDC fraternity that despite the vitriolic attacks on him, and his person by his opposing contestant, they should all continue to focus on the issues, campaign for him for a dynamic, strategic, trustworthy, and fearless National Chairman for Victory 2024.

Below is a copy of the release signed by Edem Agbana:

The Johnson Asiedu Nketiah Campaign has taken note of yet another series of lies and attacks on his character and person by National Chairman of the NDC and his campaign team.

While we have refused to comment on the consistent attacks and lies in the past, we have noted the daily lies and the recent one by a National Vice Chairman Said Sinare, claiming among others that the General Secretary, single handedly picked a company and forced it on the Party to provide an electronic payment platform.

We wish to advice that in the supreme interest of our party, all aspirants stick to a campaign of facts and truths, devoid of hatred.

I am directed by Johnson Asiedu Nketiah to respond to the lies of Said Sinare and the National Chairman as follows:

1. Following a decision by the party to set up an electronic payment platform, Deputy General Secretary Barbara Asamoah was tasked to invite proposals from interested companies, and she was charged to also find out for colleague FEC members if they know any firms with the required Fintech experience to submit their bids.

2. Madam Asamoah is the one who received and submitted a shortlist of the bids she received to a committee, which was put together to handle Procurements, and chaired by General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia.

3. Membership of the Committee included: Peter Boamah Otokunor- Deputy General Secretary; Barbara Asamoah- Deputy General Secretary; Joshua Akamba- National Organiser; Vida Addae- Deputy National Treasurer; Attah Issah- Accountant and Emmanuel Zumakpeh- Director of Administration.

4. At the meetings of the Committee, Dr. George Atta Boateng was invited as a consultant to assist with selecting the successful bid for the project.

5. After the review meeting, Madam Barbara Asamoah was the one asked to meet separately with Dr. Atta Boateng to further review and report to the Committee.

6. The Consultant subsequently recommended that the shortlisted companies should submit samples of their proposed work and make presentations to the Committee.

7. The Committee after reviewing the reports made its recommendations and submitted to the General Secretary. It must be pointed out that the General Secretary was not present for these review meetings with the shortlisted companies.

8. It was after the report was presented to the General Secretary that he called for a due diligence to be conducted on the companies.

9. It was found after the due diligence that one of the shortlisted entities was owned by an active senior official of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). How on earth could the NDC have allowed an NPP official to oversee the collection of NDC funds? No way!

10. The other entity is owned by a member of the NDC and who has a security background.

11. The General Secretary therefore submitted the (Procurement) Committee’s final recommendation to the Functional Executive Committee (FEC).

12. After FEC’s approval, the Committee met with the Party’s Finance Committee chaired by Mr. Kwame Peprah, who was in charge and negotiated the charges with the selected entity. The Consultant, Dr. Atta Boateng, was also in this meeting to bring his expert knowledge to the proceedings. Also present at this meeting were Barbara Asamoah, Peter Otokunor, Accountant and General Secretary.

13. The agreed charges with the selected entity and negotiated by the Finance committee chaired by Mr. Peprah was 18%, and not 20%.

14. Following the Finance Committee’s negotiations, the draft agreement was submitted to the Party’s Legal Committee for review before signing in July 2022.

15. We want to emphasise that, at all times, it was Barbara Asamoah who received the bids, and submitted the shortlisted entities submitted to the Party’s committee for consideration.

16. Therefore, the claims by the National Vice Chairman, in the presence of the National Chairman that Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah single handedly picked and dictated to FEC on the selected company are false and should be completely disregarded.

17. We note that another member of the Ofosu Ampofo campaign team, Oti Bless of Nkwanta, had also claimed that Mr. Asiedu Nketia and his son are the owners of the said company, and are paying themselves 38% in charges.

18. For the record, neither the General Secretary nor his son has any interest or shareholding in the company selected and offered the contract to provide the platform.

19. We can campaign for our preferred candidates without resorting to outright falsehoods and character assassination, which are attributes that are unbecoming of persons seeking to lead the NDC.

20. I am directed by ‘General’ Johnson Asiedu Nketiah to remind all his supporters and the generality of the NDC fraternity that despite the vitriolic attacks on him, and his person by his opposing contestant, we should all continue to focus on the issues, campaign for him for a dynamic, strategic, trustworthy, and fearless National Chairman for Victory 2024.

21. I am also directed to encourage the incumbent National Chairman to sanitise his campaign in the best interest of the NDC.

Edem Agbana

Spokesperson

Johnson Asiedu Nketiah Campaign

22nd November 2022