Flagbearer hopeful of the main opposition political party, National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Kwabena Duffour has responded to the attacks by some members of his party over his Ahotor Project he is spearheading
According to the former Finance Minister, he is unfazed by attacks and insults hurled at him as he desires to help the vulnerable with the Ahotor Project.
Dr Duffuor was said to have taken his Ahotor Project to some constituencies in the Ashanti Region to donate empowerment items to NDC members.
This provoked some members of the NDC, especially Johnson Asiedu Nketia who chastised the former Finance Minister for implementing his project without the knowledge of the party’s national executive.
The General Secretary of the party accused him of personalising the project for his selfish interest.
Johnson Asiedu Nketia said on the sidelines of the Second NDC Lawyers Conference that “I’ve been compelled to address the press on this Ahotor project because I believe we’ve come far and we shouldn’t be addressing each other through the media. But I am compel in the interest of the party to put these things out.
“We just picked information from Kumasi that Dr. Duffuor is going to distribute some equipment to our constituencies under the Ahotɔ Project and we feel very much betrayed. It is not a bad thing if a former minister wants to support the party in anyway but there is a process that you go through.
“We actually heard about this project for the first time when it was supposed to have been launched in Ashaiman. So we felt that everything about the launching of the project was problematic. So we invited Dr. Duffuor and his followers and we sat down because we thought that we could resolve whatever was wrong with the project as it has been designed so we all chart the same path and then make sure we receive the donation and process the donation through our proper party channels of receiving donations. We sat and held series of meetings and thought we had agreed on a procedure.
“Another procedure is that if you want to donate to the NDC after the donation you don’t have a hand in how the donation will be used. In fact he is not the first person to donate to this party.
He therefore threatened to disassociate the party from the project if the former Governor of Bank of Ghana continues to execute the project on his own.
According to him, “… The information we are picking now is that and we’ve been written to that there is going to be an NGO who is going to manage the Project and we strongly object to that thing and we feels that we’ve been misled in launching and receiving the donation and assured our party that it is the party that is going to handle it. If Dr. Duffuor intends to make this donation to the party a genuine donation then he should be prepare to pass through the proper channels otherwise he has his equipment and whatever is doing with the equipment is not going to be in the name of the NDC.”
However, Dr. Duffour speaking to journalists on Wednesday, August 31 and was of the view that by his nature, he cannot reply his attackers in same measure but will only continue to help the poor through his donations
According to him, he was motivated to help the vulnerable through the Ahotor Project to strengthen not only the party but also the country.
“No amount of insults, attacks will stop me from what I want to do for you,” he said.
He told the gathering how he served Ghana as Finance Minister for four years but did not take his ex gratia.
Giving information on how he made his money, the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, said he started business somewhere in 1984 and will not capitalise on the Ahotor Project for any pecuniary gains as alleged by some.
“I feel in me that I should help people and I am helping,” he indicated.
By Vincent Kubi