2016 Campaign Debt Haunts NDC MPs

…As Ablakwa Denies He Still Owes MMT

Debt from transport services that Parliamentary Candidates of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) incurred for themselves with the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) is haunting them, three years after the MMT rendered the services.

The State transportation company has dragged the defaulting MPs to the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Mike Ocquaye.

In a petition, the MMT is asking the Speaker to sanction the MPs for their acts of bad faith after the State company offered them the transportation services on credit to help them prosecute their Parliamentary campaigns for 2016.

The list of defaulting Parliamentarians includes Mahama Ayariga, Cletus Avoka, Ras Mubarak ABA Fuseini, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Alhaji Tanko. They are said to have hired busses on credit from the MMT in 2016 to transport various constituents as part of their campaigns for Legislative office.

Minority Leader, Haruna iddrissu, MP for Ketu South, Hon Fifi Kwettey, former Transport Minister, Dzifa Attivor and the MP for Builsa South, Clement Apaak are said to have also been defaulters but have since settled their debts.

The MMT says it wants the Speaker to sanction the MPs involved over their delay in repaying their debts.

Meanwhile, North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who is listed among the defaulting MPs has responded by saying that he does not owe the MMT. In a Facebook post, he said he had settled all his debts to the MMT.

“To the best of my knowledge, I have redeemed all obligations to the Metro Mass Transit Ltd at my request, soon after the 2016 general elections, I demanded to know the entire amount owed for transport services rendered to my beloved constituents during the electioneering period and for which I promptly paid in full as far back as 28th June 2017,” Ablakwa wrote.

However, George Asante, Public Relations Officer of the MMT has also responded saying that the receipts that the North Tongu MP has from the MMT, covers only a fraction of the amount that he owes and therefore Hon. Ablakwa is not really debt free.

“He owes an additional ghc10, 800. This was sent to speaker of Parliament in our petition,” Mr. Asante said.

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