A leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Mr. Ato Ahwoi says the NPP is jittery following the political gains of the NDC. He said “we have put fear in the NPP such that they have to rush to the Central Region” to try and reverse the trend. Mr. Ahwoi was answering questions on the amount of money it is spending on campaign billboards for the party’s flag-bearer, Prof. John Atta Mills. He told Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoe that the NDC has earmarked between GH¢50,000 and 70,000 (¢500m to 700m) for billboards. According to him, most of the billboards were donated by sympathizers of the party. Many donors he said were convinced that the party will win the December elections and expects that they will be given jobs when the party comes to power. That expectation will be met but in accordance with the law and laid down procedures, he noted. Some of the billboards however are being erected by the party itself which pays party members for erecting them as a way of helping them earn some money. Mr. Ahwoi said the billboards were very effective in selling the party’s flag-bearer. The chairman of the Finance Committee of the NPP, Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyeman also said some of the billboards put up by the party were donations. He said even though they were very expensive, they were needed to encourage the party’s support base. He expressed regret that politics had become so expensive in the country. The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Integrity Initiative, Mr. Vitus Axim said donations to political should not be encouraged. For him, there are strings attached to such donations which does not auger well for society. Mr. Axim believes people who donate to political always demand lucrative contracts in return. He stressed the need for political parties to sensitise their supporters to donate based on their belief in the philosophy of the party. Story by Malik Abass Daabu