Ashanti NPP head office faces closure over unpaid rent arrears

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) head office in the Ashanti Region risks being shut down after a landlady alleges the ruling party was yet to settle three-year rent arrears owed her.

In a video which started circulating on social media last Friday, the woman and her son were spotted issuing threats to the rank and file of the party, as she demanded payment of nearly ¢40,000 from the regional executives.

The family’s utterances at the party office reportedly halted a meeting organized by a local branch of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON), it is reported.

Emmanuel Yankson who claimed to be the landlady’s son said a five-year agreement which took effect in 2014 between the two parties was yet to be settled.

The rent amounting to ¢36,000 is currently in arrears, Yankson said.

According to him, his elder brother gave out the facility to the NPP for ¢1000 every month for five years.

He continued that they agreed to renegotiate after every two years but It has been over eight years and no such thing has happened.

The ruling party has also been accused of failing to maintain the facility as agreed.

Wontumi denies

But the party has rejected the claims.
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako popularly called Chairman Wontumi speaking on a local radio station – Kessben FM – has denied owing the landlady.

He revealed that the party has rented the facility for ten years.

Meanwhile, the NPP leadership in the region is said to hold an emergency meeting with the landlady to address the issue.

Planned New Office Space

On Thursday, April 19, 2018, the NPP held special fundraising at Dunkirk, a suburb of Kumasi to mobilise funds to finance the party’s campaign in the region.

Leadership of the party cut sod for the construction of a permanent office which when completed will be located at Dadiesoaba and will contain twenty-four offices and three conference halls.

It has been three years since then and it is still unclear whether the project will be done in time to avoid such embarrassment to one of Ghana’s big political parties.