The project Manager for the Ahotor project, Abass Osabutey, has responded to critics over the project operating as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) overseeing its implementation.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia had earlier taken on former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffour for deceiving the party that, the Ahotor Project, was a donation to the party.
He notes per the arrangement, the NDC as a party was to manage the project with no third-party involvement.
‘‘All donations made to the political party are controlled and handled by the party and not a third party therefore any move by Duffour to set up an NGO to handle the Ahotor project which he launched with the party will not be accepted’’.
Mr. Osabutey in an interview on Ultimate FM, noted that the decision to operate as an NGO stems from some issues regarding the lack of monetization and responsible management of the business model by some party executives.
He insists the latest development is as a result of some administrative issues on the side of NDC executives.
‘‘The Ahotor Project is an NGO, because after the launch in Ashaiman and the headquarters, then we realized that the implementation processes is becoming difficult, how to monetize the facilities’’
‘‘The committee that must manage the facility became problematic, you go to a place I want to be part of the committee chairman says so, the organizer is also saying same, treasure, so who are those going to manage the facility in any way?’’ He questioned.
‘‘So we decided and we have written formally to the NDC headquarters that based on the experiences in Ashaiman and especially Klottey Korley, now the Ahotor project will identify members of the NDC at the grassroots level constitute them into a management committee, manage it on behalf of the constituency so that the revenue that will accrue will be shared with the constituency, the committee and the project ’’
‘‘As we speak their unable to monetize it, and you know that project was supervised by the headquarters, they handled all the activities and even gave it to Korley Klottey and as we speak they have not monetized it, because to form the committee itself has become a challenge’’
‘We cannot sit down as an organization for this good initiative across the 276 constituencies …. to die hence the new approach’’ he said.
He reiterated Dr. Duffour’s commitment to give back to the NDC, regardless of what people think.
“We are doing eight Constituencies in the Ashanti, which started in Drobonsu which came as a result of deliberations that culminated in the choice of Dronbosu in the Ashanti region distribution.
‘‘We are doing, Offinso, New Edubiase, Tafo and other places.’’
-Additional files from Mynewsgh
