Two hundred and fifty million old cedis or twenty five thousand Ghana New Cedis is the figure given by the New Patriotic Party as the nomination fee for its aspiring presidential candidates. That’s roughly US$25,000. By any standard, that’s a lot of money. So far, none of the 17 aspirants has signaled withdrawal from the race due to the inability to raise such a huge initial financial outlay in nomination fees.It can therefore be argued that wherever they are going to find it, these determined aspirants would do so. Some clearly can afford it and probably more, from their own resources, while others would need a lot of help. That’s just the first step. After the nominations have been filed and accepted, the campaigning would continue in earnest and that would involve even more money.The preceding point of “continuing” the campaigning is significant because all the aspirants have been campaigning for some months now with reports of money and other incentives in kind being lavished to woo the prospective delegates to the December congress. So it is going to be money, money, money…all the way! But which of these 17 aspirants leads in the money game? The following assessment is based more on public perception and the “behaviour” of some of the aspirants themselves than any verifiable public accounting system.
Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama: Incumbency does not seem to have given him any financial advantages. Not much either from former construction firm. Said to be cash strapped but looking forward to donations from people who believe in his viability in 2008
Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo: Could his Foreign Minister’s per diems help? Hardly, say funding experts. And not much from former law firm either. Said to have wealthy backers and could receive international help.
Hackman Owusu-Agyemang: Comes across as a very wealthy man. What with his Hackman Foundation and other philanthropic donations? He recently donated a Club House to his party. Has international connections and is looked upon as one of the aspirants to whom money may not be that much of a problem .
Yaw Osafo-Maafo: Not clear how it all started, but months, or even, a year or two earlier, it was widely rumoured that he had built up a war chest just for a day like this. Money therefore should not be a problem for the former finance minister.
Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku: “I don’t know”, was what a relation said about how the Offinso-North MP is funding his campaign. And it is true; his is one of those mysteries in the current campaigning for the NPP presidential campaign race. Where is the money coming from?
Professor Mike Ocquaye: Said to have made friends in his brief stint as Ghana’s High Commissioner to India and help could be coming from that source. The myth of grinding mills and such things to prospective delegates has caught the public imagination for a while. Not known to have well-heeled business friends.
Dr. Kobina Arthur Kennedy: Had a flourishing medical practice in the US. Has been openly critical of the way money seems to be playing a central role in this campaign. Has great admiration from Diaspora Ghanaians, most of whom are actually not that financially well-off.
Boakye Agyarko: Like Dr. Arthur Kennedy, has had a brilliant career on in the US. In the financial district of Wall Street he rose to become a Vice President of the Bank of New York. His financial independence is therefore not in doubt, but funding a campaign is another matter altogether.
Dan Botwe: Another of the mysteries. His sources of funding are a closely guarded secret, if they exist at all. Said to be relying more on his grass root connections from the days when he was the party’s General Secretary, than on money. He has been very vehement in his denunciation of how money has crept in to “spoil” his party.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng: The heart surgeon with the “Midas Touch” both in the operating theatre and in administration. Not a rich man but has the support of a rich man. He is probably the only aspirant who has had the open endorsement of a very rich man, Mr. Kofi Amoabeng, the CEO of Unique Trust Financial Services.
Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey: It is not clear how much stock he owns in the advertising agency he headed for many years, but even if he owned it all, it is not likely that other shareholders would allow him to dip his hands into the company’s kitty to finance his campaign. Jake, though comfortable, does not have those huge amounts of “dosh” to run a protracted campaign.
Nkrabea Effa-Dartey: Not clear his sources of funding
Kwabena Agyepong: Rumoured to have made local and international connections as a one time press secretary to the president and could have convinced some of them to invest in his future. In fact, the wilder of the rumours even suggest that his backers are in the southern part of the African continent.
Owusu Agyepong: As a former president of Ghana’s venerable association of surveyors, the former Majority Leader is not a man without connections and individual means
Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor: Like Osafo Marfo, the president’s younger sibling has given (or been given) the impression that he has amassed a war chest to succeed his brother. Campaign funds: No problem!
Alan Kyeremanten: He has been christened Alan Cash because of the real or imagined campaign largess is reputed to be “splashing about”. He has become the target of almost all the aspirants and intense media scrutiny because of the perception that he is the president’s favourite.
Paapa Owusu-Ankomah: Paapa’s source of funding is not clear, but he is gradually being associated with the Chief of Staff at the Osu Castle. In the coming days, things would get clearer after the nominations have been filed. The cash men and struggling men would expose themselves, for one thing, it is said, that cannot hide is MONEY!
Source:Accra Daily Mail
Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama: Incumbency does not seem to have given him any financial advantages. Not much either from former construction firm. Said to be cash strapped but looking forward to donations from people who believe in his viability in 2008
Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo: Could his Foreign Minister’s per diems help? Hardly, say funding experts. And not much from former law firm either. Said to have wealthy backers and could receive international help.
Hackman Owusu-Agyemang: Comes across as a very wealthy man. What with his Hackman Foundation and other philanthropic donations? He recently donated a Club House to his party. Has international connections and is looked upon as one of the aspirants to whom money may not be that much of a problem .
Yaw Osafo-Maafo: Not clear how it all started, but months, or even, a year or two earlier, it was widely rumoured that he had built up a war chest just for a day like this. Money therefore should not be a problem for the former finance minister.
Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku: “I don’t know”, was what a relation said about how the Offinso-North MP is funding his campaign. And it is true; his is one of those mysteries in the current campaigning for the NPP presidential campaign race. Where is the money coming from?
Professor Mike Ocquaye: Said to have made friends in his brief stint as Ghana’s High Commissioner to India and help could be coming from that source. The myth of grinding mills and such things to prospective delegates has caught the public imagination for a while. Not known to have well-heeled business friends.
Dr. Kobina Arthur Kennedy: Had a flourishing medical practice in the US. Has been openly critical of the way money seems to be playing a central role in this campaign. Has great admiration from Diaspora Ghanaians, most of whom are actually not that financially well-off.
Boakye Agyarko: Like Dr. Arthur Kennedy, has had a brilliant career on in the US. In the financial district of Wall Street he rose to become a Vice President of the Bank of New York. His financial independence is therefore not in doubt, but funding a campaign is another matter altogether.
Dan Botwe: Another of the mysteries. His sources of funding are a closely guarded secret, if they exist at all. Said to be relying more on his grass root connections from the days when he was the party’s General Secretary, than on money. He has been very vehement in his denunciation of how money has crept in to “spoil” his party.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng: The heart surgeon with the “Midas Touch” both in the operating theatre and in administration. Not a rich man but has the support of a rich man. He is probably the only aspirant who has had the open endorsement of a very rich man, Mr. Kofi Amoabeng, the CEO of Unique Trust Financial Services.
Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey: It is not clear how much stock he owns in the advertising agency he headed for many years, but even if he owned it all, it is not likely that other shareholders would allow him to dip his hands into the company’s kitty to finance his campaign. Jake, though comfortable, does not have those huge amounts of “dosh” to run a protracted campaign.
Nkrabea Effa-Dartey: Not clear his sources of funding
Kwabena Agyepong: Rumoured to have made local and international connections as a one time press secretary to the president and could have convinced some of them to invest in his future. In fact, the wilder of the rumours even suggest that his backers are in the southern part of the African continent.
Owusu Agyepong: As a former president of Ghana’s venerable association of surveyors, the former Majority Leader is not a man without connections and individual means
Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor: Like Osafo Marfo, the president’s younger sibling has given (or been given) the impression that he has amassed a war chest to succeed his brother. Campaign funds: No problem!
Alan Kyeremanten: He has been christened Alan Cash because of the real or imagined campaign largess is reputed to be “splashing about”. He has become the target of almost all the aspirants and intense media scrutiny because of the perception that he is the president’s favourite.
Paapa Owusu-Ankomah: Paapa’s source of funding is not clear, but he is gradually being associated with the Chief of Staff at the Osu Castle. In the coming days, things would get clearer after the nominations have been filed. The cash men and struggling men would expose themselves, for one thing, it is said, that cannot hide is MONEY!
Source:Accra Daily Mail
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