It all begun ahead of the 2016 elections, a do or die contest between the then incumbent president John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party flagbearer William Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo. We recall John Dramani Mahama assumed power after the demise of his boss, the late John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills in 2012, an event that afforded him the opportunity to represent the party in the 2012 elections and becoming a democratically elected president for the republic in 2013. On the other hand, now President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo dream of becoming a president at the time was almost shattered following his two-time loss of power to the NDC in 2008 and 2012 respectively. Apart from the sympathy votes from Ghanaians which landed President Akufo -Addo a one-time victory in the 2016 elections, the “NPP’s Election 2016 Fund-Raising Campaign” was a first-time event which yielded a mouthwatering result.
NPP’s Election 2016 Fund-Raising Campaign
This was clearly the people-support campaign program was launched by the “Kumipreko Convenor”, on the 13th day of April, 2016. At the launch in Accra, the then presidential candidate, now president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, declared: “Ghana today is in crisis. Agriculture, once upon a time the bedrock of our development, is a pale shadow of its former self. Manufacturing is at a very low ebb. Corruption is at its height. Our economy is in tatters. Inflation is high. Taxes are rising. Businesses, both big and small, are struggling, and millions of young men and women are without work.” He stressed that incompetency was the hallmark of the Mahama administration, while government appointments were not based on merit but considerations which were not only puzzling but also bizarre. (a clear picture of the Ghana we see today).
Additionally, Nana Akufo-Addo’s speech echoed the need for change in the way the country was governed, insisting on a change that would make way for a competent, honest, hard-working, well-qualified team to take over the affairs of the country and steer them in the direction of prosperity for all, instead of the then state of affairs which dwelt on prosperity for the friends and family of the people in power.
They did set up an “NPP Campaign Fundraising team” that devised several means by which people could make cash donation to the campaign, which saw the unveiling of four various e-platforms of funding aimed at milking the ordinary Ghanaian to fund a man’s dream, and a party course. The program saw people making their contributions via special airtime top-up scratch cards (Tigo), via SMS, via cluster platforms, via the ‘I-am-for-Nana’ mobile app which allowed donors, both in Ghana and abroad, to contribute using their Visa or Mastercard and allowed those in Ghana also to donate via mobile money. The slogan “No amount is too small” won the hearts of many so that people supported the campaign with cash donations, both big and small. Today, the scheme continues and the two wise group who are undoubtedly committed to the course of fooling over thirty million people are fighting over a failure’s agenda like dogs fighting over carcass.
It is obvious that Ghanaian are faced with a replica of the challenges suffered under President Mahama’s administration just as it was observed by now President William Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo. Some say it is even worse under his administration; a statement for the populace judgement. In the news today, the campaign funding agenda started with Former President and NDC Presidential Candidate for the 2024 election John Dramani Mahama. It was in March 2022, at a public lecture on ‘financing political campaigns’ at UPSA auditorium where JM (as popularly called) launched his own version of the scheme, a digital fundraising platform to finance his 2024 presidential campaign. The digitalized retail donation campaign by JM and the NDC sort “to mobilize small contributions from Ghanaians, both locally and in the diaspora.” Again, milking the suffering Ghanaian to fund a man’s dream and a political party’s agenda. The ditodito copied program only replace the donation on airtime scratch card “the channel for the donation amongst others includes an official Zenith bank account number (new addition), a John Mahama campaign mobile money number, USSD code (new addition) and a John Mahama fundraising mobile App. All this happened even before the NDC primaries in May 2023 which had delegates voted JM for his third presidential contest in a role.
Fast Forward to June 8,2023, Alan Kojo Kyeremanteng, the NPP flagbearer hopeful, has again, launched his own campaign financing platform, another version of the scheme introduced by Akufo-Addo. This time round, the slogan changes to ‘Ketewa Bia Nsua’ donation platforms aimed at crowd-funding for the “Alan for President campaign”. The agenda, has been launched, and the men behind this have just hit the ground running so that they have begun flooding Ghanaian screens, airwaves, print and the digital media with the methods of using the various donation platforms to support Kyeremateng’s campaign activities with as little as ¢1. In the case of AlanCash, the cash man begging for cash, there is no bank account, and no mobile money number for donation but the mobile application is up for download, USSD code available, and a website duly launched.
History is about to repeat itself. It worked for His Excellency William Kwaku Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, and they are all jumping on it now. This is no joke, so discerning Ghanaians over to you.
