A private legal practitioner, Mr. Kwaku Antwi-Agyei, has called for urgent national attention over a statement made by Mr. Mustapha Gbande, a Deputy National Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), which he describes as “deeply troubling for Ghana’s democracy.”
In a video that has gone viral since last weekend, Mr. Gbande told a meeting with some NDC executives that upon the assumption of office on 7th January this year, the Presidency disburses Gh.c 20,000 to each of the 276 constituencies and Gh.c 100,000 to each regional NDC office to support party activities.
Speaking to the media in Sunyani, Mr. Antwi-Agyei said that although Mr. Gbande’s remark may sound benign at first, “a critical analysis evokes a very unpleasant situation for our democracy and governance.”
Whose money?
Mr. Antwi-Agyei questioned the source of the funds and the legality of using the presidency’s resources to sponsor political party work. “The first question to ask is, whose money is being spent from the presidency on the 276 constituencies of the NDC? Is it the taxpayer’s money being used for such party largesse? Is the presidency serving the people of Ghana or NDC party members?” he quizzed.
He noted that while it is not inherently wrong for political parties to support their grassroots structures, using state resources for partisan purposes constitutes an abuse of power and undermines the principles of democratic governance.
“For God’s sake, the presidency is a place earmarked for the service of all Ghanaians, not party people,” he stated emphatically.
Mr. Antwi-Agyei stressed that the NDC, as a corporate entity, already has its own structures designed to handle issues affecting its members’ welfare and organizational progress. “Direct sponsorship from the presidency to the party is not only unacceptable but sets a very dirty precedent which must be condemned and discouraged,” he added.
He therefore appealed directly to the President to halt the alleged disbursement immediately, reminding him that his oath of office was to serve the people of Ghana, not his political party.
Legal mandate
“Mr. President, you took an oath to serve the people of Ghana for four years, not your political party. Please, sir, I implore you to immediately halt the release of GHC20,000 a month to every constituency office of your NDC party, because your mandate does not give you such power to do so. Let the party hierarchy handle matters bordering on party finance and welfare. This is not a healthy development for this country,” he urged.
Mr. Antwi-Agyei further expressed concern that such alleged partisan expenditure is occurring at a time when doctors, nurses, and teacher trainees are crying over salary arrears and unpaid benefits, while unemployed graduates continue to struggle for opportunities.
Taxpayers’ money
“We cannot take taxpayers’ money and lavish it on party people while Ghanaians are searching for jobs. Are the party people more Ghanaian than the rest of us?” he questioned.
He concluded by warning against turning the presidency into what he described as an “NDC World Bank,” cautioning that such practices, if left unchecked, would deepen inequality and erode public trust in state institutions.
“I have no other option than to vent out my pent-up fears about the dangers of turning the presidency into NDC’s World Bank whilst the ordinary Ghanaian is either not being paid their salaries or not getting employed because of pressure on the public purse,” he lamented.
