Newly elected General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu, has described the recent comments by former President John Mahama on the bus buying issue involving the chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay, as ‘petty’ and inappropriate.
According to him, the tweet by the former Mr. Mahama should be left to party foot soldiers.
Mr. Mahama in a tweet after news broke that Freddie Blay had purchased 275 mini-buses for the constituencies ahead of the NPP’s National Delegates Conference in Koforidua, questioned why the NPP sought to secure a loan from the Universal Merchant Bank [UMB], which the NPP earlier claimed was owned by his brother, Ibrahim Mahama.
Speaking in an interview of the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr. Boadu said the comment by Mahama is for “people who just want to joke” and should not come from serious-minded people.
“Some of this pettiness should stop, these are for people who want to just joke. Not for a President. Why didn’t he tweet when the UMB bank came out boldly that they have made available over $100m to get involved in the one, district one factory?”
“We just have to be serious, these ones you can leave it to your foot soldiers to do that for you,” he added
He also questioned the decision by Mahama to not comment on commendable initiatives such as the move by the same UMB to support the NPP’s flagship ‘one district, one factory’ program.
Mr. John Boadu said the decision by the National Chairman of the NPP Mr. Freddie Worsemawu Blay to purchase 275 mini-buses was not a vote buying strategy but rather an initiative because he believes there is a need for the NPP to be self-sustaining.
275 buses for NPP
Freddie Blay has been in the news for personally procuring 275 buses for all NPP constituency offices across the country, ahead of the party’s national delegate’s congress on Saturday, where he is contesting to become the substantive Chairman.
According to reports, Mr. Blay, as a guarantor, paid three million dollars which constitute 30 percent of the total cost of 11.4 million dollars and has taken delivery of the first 100 mini-buses.
The issue has generated public outcry with opposition political parties and civil society organizations describing it as vote buying.
The bank, which reportedly helped Mr. Blay to bring in the buses – UMB—a private bank, was once alleged to be owned by the brother of John Mahama, Ibrahim Mahama, a claim he has rejected. The allegations were made at the time when the bank, formerly Merchant Bank was sold and re-branded to UMB.
Amidu not probing Freddie Blay
Richard Nyamah, the Spokesperson for the newly elected Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay, has dismissed reports that the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, is investigating his boss.
According to him, there is no official communication to Freddie Blay to indicate an ongoing investigation over his independent procurement of 275 minibuses to each NPP constituency office across the country.
