The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), has called on the Economic and Organized Crimes Office (EOCO), to investigate the acting National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay, who is seeking re-election, for promising 1-constituency, 1-bus for commercial purposes ahead of the NPP elections.
Freddie Blay, on Friday, May 11, 2018 revealed that, plans are far advance in providing a bus to each of the 275 constituency of the NPP to be used to raise funds for its operations.
Freddie Blay disclosed on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme that, “I am supplying buses to all the constituency branches of the NPP. Each constituency will receive a bus from me personally for commercial purposes just to raise money for party activitiesâ€.
When asked how he will finance the procurement of the buses, Freddie Blay said, “when you are resourceful, you will be able to do that. You don’t need to do that from your own pockets, no, you can’t do it that way; as a politician, you need to be resourceful and be able to raise funds for activities of such kindâ€.
However, Programmes Manager of GII, Mary Addah, said the promise by Freddie Blay is a clear case of vote-buying, a development that is against the electoral laws of the country.Â
Speaking in an interview with Accra based radio station, Accra FM on Monday, May 14, Mary Addah said, “why is he buying all these buses at a time they are going for their elections? What is the intention behind the buses?â€
“It is clearly an issue of vote-buying, if, indeed, it is true that he is buying these buses. Mr Blay knows it is against the electoral laws of Ghana to induce voters to vote for you".
She said “CHRAJ and EOCO must investigate this, it is a lot of money, and, so, Freddie Blay should be able to justify where he got the money for all these busesâ€.
Meanwhile, the governing NPP has postponed its National Annual Delegates Congress from June 15, 2018, to July 7, 2018.
The National Delegates Congress which was scheduled to be held from June 15-17 2018, in Koforidua, has to be postponed due to the Eid-Adhal festivities by Muslims.
The Congress will elect national officers who will run the affairs of the party for the next four years.