The Upper West Regional Branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on the government to desist from the excessive use of state resources in the run up to the national congress of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) slated for Sunyani on Saturday. It alleged that the manner in which state machinery such as aircraft, vehicles and presidential residence among other state resources were being misused by government functionaries to campaign for the incumbent candidate, President J. E. A. Mills, was worrying and called for moderation. Citing the unannounced visit of the Vice President, John Dramani Mahama at the weekend to the region as an example, the Upper West Regional Second Vice Chairman of the NPP, Mr Hafiz Bin Salih, recalled the campaign of former vice president Aliu Mahama when he vied for the NPP flagbearership and said Mr Aliu Mahama used his personal resources to campaign. “Again, the NDC criticised Mr Alan Kyerematen for using a state aircraft during his campaign, but it ended up as a chartered aircraft. This time round, the NDC which criticised the NPP on all of these is even doing the worst,” he noted. Mr Bin Salih, who was interacting with the Daily Graphic in Wa, further expressed grave concern about the use of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) conference halls and the presidential residences as meeting places for delegates saying “DCEs and other government workers have all abandoned their offices and turned these places into their offices”. On the allegations made by the group calling itself the “Will of the people” (WOTY), which included multiple awards of contracts, distribution of tractors and livestock among other allegations, Mr Bin Salih urged the NDC not to only debunk the allegations, but also to conduct a thorough investigation into the issues raised. He, however, stressed that no leading member of the NPP had been awarded contracts as was alleged by WOTY. He described the accusation of the NDC of the interference by the NPP in the Wa central constituency as baseless and unfounded and pointed out that it was a deliberate attempt to dent the democratic credentials of the NPP in the constituency and also for the NDC to divert attention from its failures. He added that no member of the NPP through their findings had been identified to be part of the WOTY group calling for the removal of the MCE, Mr Yakubu Duogu, emphasising that, “The NPP in the Wa central constituency respects the NDC and all other political parties in the constituency and will not do anything to disregard or tarnish the image of any political party.” He also called on the NDC to accord the NPP similar respect for a mutual cooperation in order to create the appropriate platform for a decent and clean campaign during next year’s general election. The NPP second vice chairman further indicated that the NPP was focused and not ready to engage in any form of propaganda, rather, it would communicate its intended policies and programmes under the leadership of Nana Akufo-Addo to the people. He reminded the NDC to concentrate on addressing the increasing food prices, fertiliser and cement among other items and advised the aggrieved NDC members constituting the WOTY, to consider joining the NPP where they would be given a hearing since the NPP believed in freedom of speech, rule of law and true democracy. Mr Bin Salih also commended former President Kufuor on his latest achievement and described the NDC’s statement of commendation on his recent award against huger as a mark of hypocrisy. Source: Daily Graphic/Ghana