{"id":384905,"date":"2017-12-20T19:09:18","date_gmt":"2017-12-20T19:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=384905"},"modified":"2017-12-21T06:55:21","modified_gmt":"2017-12-21T06:55:21","slug":"money-collected-from-expatriates-was-for-fundraising-organisers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/12\/money-collected-from-expatriates-was-for-fundraising-organisers\/","title":{"rendered":"Money collected from expatriates was for fundraising – Organisers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Board Chairman of the Millennium Excellence Foundation, Victor Gbeho, has stated that donations were actively solicited for the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards on December 8, which has courted some controversy over extortion allegations.<\/p>\n

Allegations were made that the Ministry of Trade and Industry\u00a0charged expatriates<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0between $25,000 and $100,000 to enable them to\u00a0sit close to the President at the awards ceremony.<\/p>\n

[contextly_sidebar id=”wfYmhH81QbnmpcUGjUZWIUlbGM1EV6uH”]Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Mr. Gbeho indicated that, \u201cspecial treatment\u201d was given to the higher donors, but there is no suggestion that the donations were used as a basis to secure sitting places next to President Nana Akufo-Addo.<\/p>\n

The Board Chair stressed that, the Foundation was a Non-Governmental Organisation and was issued notes by the Ministry of Trade to give to potential donors.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll our ceremonies are based on funds that we realise. We have no other source of money except what we raise for each occasion and in this case, we asked the Ministry of Trade and Industry if it was going to be our partner, and give us an introduction to the business community,\u201d Mr. Gbeho explained.<\/p>\n

Because of the variance in the donations received, he said it was only right that the higher donors were favoured.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn some of the awards [ceremonies], there is the platinum, then gold and then the silver [categories], all for protocol, if we come to you and you give us GHc 20,000 and somebody else gives us GHc 150,000, it will be the highest form of perversion of principles if the one that gave GHc 20,000 is going to be given more special treatment than the one who gave GHc 150,000.”<\/p>\n

“It doesn\u2019t mean that anyone was being compelled. Those who gave [donations] gave of their free will knowing very well the categories that we had,\u201d Mr. Gbeho added.<\/p>\n

Allegations denied<\/strong><\/p>\n

But the President of the Foundation, Ashim Morton, flatly refuted the allegations at the press conference, where he also noted that President Akufo-Addo was not even originally scheduled for the event.<\/p>\n

In an attempt to clear the air on the matter, Mr. Morton noted that, reserved seating was for expatriates \u201cwho have contributed enormously in our development and not necessarily whether they sponsored or would win a prize.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was also was keen to note that, the President\u2019s table was originally designated for him and not Ghana\u2019s Head of State.<\/p>\n

\u201cNowhere in our literature did we say specifically or categorically say that the Presidents\u2019 Gold table was designated for the President of the Republic of Ghana. I am the President of the Foundation and that Centre seat was designated for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Background<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Ministry of Trade and Industry has since dissociated itself from\u00a0these allegations<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0first trumpeted by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak.<\/p>\n

The allegations\u00a0have even led to the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry,\u00a0Carlos Ahenkorah,\u00a0clashing with<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0the Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in Parliament.<\/p>\n

This was followed by\u00a0President Akufo-Addo writing to the Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyeremanten,\u00a0demanding answers<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0from him over the allegations.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Board Chairman of the Millennium Excellence Foundation, Victor Gbeho, has stated that donations were actively solicited for the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards on December 8, which has courted some controversy over extortion allegations. Allegations were made that the Ministry of Trade and Industry\u00a0charged expatriates\u00a0between $25,000 and $100,000 to enable them to\u00a0sit close to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":384853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10,11],"tags":[15469,3,15559,156,15568],"yoast_head":"\nMoney collected from expatriates was for fundraising - Organisers - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. 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