Accra, Ghana- Monday, July 13, 2020,/ https://africanpostonline.com/ The Centre for Democratic Development through its leading anti-corruption campaign has revealed how some candidates in the recently held New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary primaries allegedly manipulated delegates using money and other items.
The report details how some top government officials like the Deputy Procurement Officer at COCOBOD, Alhaji Umar Farouk Mahatma, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, Hajia Abibata Shani Mahama Zakaria, the incumbent Member of Parliament for Kwesimintim Constituency, Mr Joseph Mensah and the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Curricular Assessment (NaCCA), Dr Prince Hamid Armah allegedly influenced delegates to garner votes.
Corruption Watch presented findings from the Northern and Western regions in its first series of reports.
The report alleged that Deputy MASLOC CEO, Hajia Abibata Shani Mahama Zakaria used her office as leverage to induce delegates in the Yendi Constituency. Hajia Abibata Zakaria is alleged to have distributed GHC 1,000 (state money) under the MASLOC loan scheme as well as three bags of NPK fertilizers to each delegate in her constituency.
Upon contacting the Deputy CEO on the findings of the investigation, Hajia Shania admitted to the allegations and insisted that there was nothing wrong with her decision.
According to her, the beneficiaries duly applied for the loan. She further noted that the fertilizer distribution is one of the intervention programmes for her people and those who benefitted were part of the delegates.
Her competitor, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama, son of the late Vice President Aliu Mahama is also alleged to have distributed 400 hundred bottles anti-snake sprays, 800 bags of fertilizers amongst other things to the constituency since 2017.
The case was no different in the Western region’s Kwesimimtin constituency.
Dr Prince Armah, Executive Secretary of the National Council for Curricular Assessment (NaCCA), who defeated the incumbent MP, Joseph Mensah is said to have given GHC 1,500 to each delegate while the incumbent is alleged to have given GHC 1,000 as well as half a piece of cloth to each female delegate and new singlets to each male delegate.
Also in the Effia Constituency in the Western region, the incumbent MP who doubles as the deputy Minyof Energy, Joseph Cudjoe is reported to have distributed standing fans, 32- inch flat screen television, half piece of cloth and an amount of GHC 1,500. He is also alleged to have distributed GHC 400 to each delegate after the elections.
His opponent, Dr Adwoa Kwagyiriba who lost the elections is also alleged to have distributed 32-inch television and an amount of GHC 400 to each delegate a day before elections.
These acts of corruption took place despite the preceding warnings issued by the party’s National Organizer Sammy Awuku and General Secretary John Boadu that, it is against the party rules to and the country’s laws for candidates to engage in vote-buying.
Source: Deborah Narkoah -African Post Online
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I’m Deborah Aba Narkoah. I’m an avid reader, writer and public speaker.
