NPP CONFAB, NSC TO WAIVE SOME CHARGES (PAGE 16, FEB 10, 2010)

THE National Sports Council (NSC) has decided to waive some of the charges at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) national delegates conference.
Mr Worlanyo Agrah, the Chief Executive of the NSC, told the Daily Graphic from his base in Accra that some of the smaller fees, including cleaning, were being considered to cut down the GH¢30,000 fee charged for the conference.
The NSC charged GH¢30,000 for the conference fixed for February 27, but the NPP said the amount was on the higher side.
Reacting to the charge, Mr F.F. Anto, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of NPP, said failure by the NSC to reduce the amount could jeopardise their decision to hold the conference at the stadium.
However, Mr Agrah said the NPP went too far by going to the media with the issue when they could have discussed it “indoors” with his outfit.
According to him, he had had fruitful discussions with Mr O.B. Amoah of the NPP and that some reasonable agreement had been reached.
The NSC boss stated that no one should read any meanings into the charges, explaining that they were fixed.
Mr Agrah indicated that the Jehovah Witnesses paid the fixed charges when they held their international conference at the stadium recently.
“Some people say this is a political party matter and we have to do something about it.
“This cannot be wholly true, but we are all Ghanaians and in such situations we have to find a way out, which is what we are doing,” he stressed.
He reminded the NPP that they would be using the floodlights at the stadium, which also went with another cost, so they should not think they were being cheated.
Meanwhile, party supporters have welcomed the decision by the party to hold the conference in Kumasi.
Some of them who spoke to this paper said it was appropriate because it would rekindle the spirit of the party in the region.
Five people, made up of Mr Stephen Ntim, Mr Sammy Crabbe, Felix Owusu Agyapong, Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey and Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, are contesting for the national chairmanship position, while eight others are also in contest for the three vice-chairmanship slot.
Besides, five contestants are in contest for the general secretary position.
The NPP is holding the conference on the theme, “Reflect, Rebuild, Recapture in Unity” and 4,500 delegates would participate in the polls.
However, thousands more are expected to witness the ceremony, and that necessitated the selection of the Baba Yara Stadium as the venue.