A presidential hopeful of the New patriotic party, Hon. Nkrabeah Effah-Darteh, has stated his readiness to cough up the whopping ¢650 million being allegedly proposed by the party’s finance committee as filing fee for its presidential aspirants.


The Daily Guide quotes him as saying that he could not throw away his political ambition of leading the party in the 2008 general elec¬tions because of the filing fee.

He noted he was well prepared and focused in his vision of winning the presidential slot of the party, therefore no eventuality could derail his plans, adding "the ¢650 million could not serve as a stumbling block between me and my presidential ambitions".

Hon Effah-Darteh made these remarks on a Kumasi-based radio, Angel FM, in reaction to an earlier publication in the paper.

According to him, although the so-called proposed filing fee was exorbitant, he was well resourced to come by it.

"By the grace of God, I will get money to pay, money is not my problem," he was quoted to have said, adding he had friends who would support him to pay, should the need arise.

The former soldier however noted the money sent wrong signals that the party was selling its leadership to the aspirants, contending ¢200 million or ¢250 million should have been the appropriate filing fee instead of the huge ¢650 million.

Meanwhile, Mr. Appiah Menkah, Chairman of the NPP Ashanti Regional Council of Elders has observed that he was in support of the ¢650 million proposal as filing fee for the presidential aspirants, saying the aspirants should be able to pay the money if they really wanted to win the presidential slot of the party.

Mr. Menkah averred further that people who wanted to lead the party and for that matter Ghana in 2009 should have people who were well resourced to assist them pay the money.

He was of the view that the proposed fee was okay as it showed how fast the party had grown.

"At first, we even had to beg people to contest our parliamentary seats, so about 20 people lining up for the presidential slot of the party now shows that we have grown."


Source: Daily Guide