Dr. Afriyie Akoto Wades Into Non-Payment Of Ghanaian Local Contractors For Many Years

The potential flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has criticized the party’s leadership for failing to grasp events surrounding the selection of the party’s presidential candidate for the 2024 elections.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto who doubles as the former minister of food and agriculture claimed in an that the party’s leadership had a bias against those who disregarded party rules, and that the events during the primary campaign demonstrated that the NPP lacked discipline.

He asserted that although prominent party and government officials freely express their support for one candidate, those who do the same for him and the other candidates face repercussions.

He pointed out that the contractors who are publicly endorsing some of the candidates in the campaign are not being paid.

“There is some sort of force being used – intimidation… those contractors who do not seem to be for this candidate are not paid when they complete their jobs. And they have taken huge sums of money from the banks and the interest rates are 35%, 40%. They are not paid and are being punished for supporting someone else.”

“But if somebody has done a job or a contract with the government, and they are not paid, while are those who declare for that particular candidate are paid,” he said.

In order to narrow the field of candidates to five, a super delegate conference would be conducted on August 26, 2023. The main primaries, which would determine the party’s presidential nominee for the 2024 elections, would take place on November 4, 2023.