The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is questioning the rationale behind the move, describing it as a clear intent by the ruling NDC party to use violence and intimidating tactics to approach next year’s general elections.
The Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr. Joseph Yamin, has, however, rubbished the allegation by the NPP, describing it as total misconception.
The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, last week, announced in the Upper East Region that he would facilitate the establishment of a fund that would seek the welfare of party footsoldiers and some supporters who had suffered for the party.
Known as ‘Heroes Fund’, the NDC scribe said the fund was meant to support people who suffered or sustained injuries whilst working for the party.
But, some leading figures in the opposition party are raising red flags over the intent behind the ‘Heroes Fund’ idea, and are interpreting the decision as an intent of the NDC to rig next year’s elections, using aggression and coercive tactics.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Asokwa, Maxwell Kofi Jumah, who raised the alarm in an interview on Angel FM in Kumasi on Tuesday, said the ruling party, knowing very well that they would lose the 2012 elections, had started preparing the grounds to inflict violence on the electorate come 2012.
‘You see, they are going to set up a Heroes Fund, which means they are going to use violent means to approach the elections, so that the casualties of the violent acts would be catered for by the fund,’ the firebrand NPP Legislator alleged.
Kofi Ghana, as he is affectionately called, said he was anticipating that the NDC government would not supervise free, fair and transparent elections in 2012, hence the decision of the party to establish such a fund to compensate thugs they would be using to perpetuate their heinous agenda during the elections.
The Kumasi-based MP, who would be kissing goodbye to the seat he has held for two consecutive terms, however, cautioned that the ruling party would have things very tough, should they decide to push through such alleged monstrous scheme, as the NPP would be ready to match them boot for boot.
Kofi Jumah said now that the real intent of the NDC, towards next year’s elections, had been laid bare, the NPP would also marshal its arsenal, and confront any attempt to short-circuit the clearly laid down procedure in conducting elections in the country.
‘You see, when Nana Addo said we will approach next year’s elections with an ‘All Die Be Die’ attitude, the NDC were afraid, and we now know that Nana Addo stands vindicated, since the NDC has evil intentions towards the 2012 elections, but it will not materialise,’ he noted.
Mr. Joseph Yamin, Ashanti Regional Secretary of NDC, speaking to The Chronicle in an interview, said contrary to the assertion by the NPP Legislator, the Heroes Fund was specifically set up to cater for victims of the 2008 elections, who suffered brutalities at the hands of the then NPP government, under President Kufuor.
The NDC regional scribe asserted that the funds were not meant to glorify violence, as was being speculated by the NPP, but rather an appreciation of the heroic exploits of party supporters who endured the intimidation of the NPP administration during the 2008 elections.
Yamin noted that the Heroes Fund, which the NPP was making a fuss about, was not created today, stressing that the idea was mooted in 2009 by the National Executive Committee (NEC) immediately the party assumed power, but its official launch and implementation was delayed.
‘If Kofi Jumah is ignorant about ‘Heroes Fund’, he must stop conjecturing and ask questions. This fund was not created today, the party conceived the idea long ago,’ Yamin stressed.
On the assertion that the Heroes Fund, and the NDC’s alleged violent intent for 2012 is vindication enough of Nana Addo’s ‘All Die Be Die’ statement, Yamin retorted: ‘Is Kofi Jumah now admitting that Nana Addo’s real motive was to incite violence, if that is what the NPP wants to describe it, then so be it, we will be ready for them in 2012, but we would be wise enough to create a welfare scheme for our people.’
The rest is here: