{"id":389317,"date":"2018-01-07T06:51:47","date_gmt":"2018-01-07T06:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=389317"},"modified":"2018-01-07T07:00:07","modified_gmt":"2018-01-07T07:00:07","slug":"cash-for-seats-at-business-events-standard-practice-imani-boss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2018\/01\/cash-for-seats-at-business-events-standard-practice-imani-boss\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Cash for seats\u2019 at business events standard practice – IMANI Boss"},"content":{"rendered":"

President of policy think tank, IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe is of the view that the organisers of the Ghana Expatriates Business Awards did not err by\u00a0charging expatriates<\/strong><\/a><\/span>\u00a0for seats close to President Nana Akufo-Addo during the event.<\/p>\n

According to him, it is standard international practice to offer table sponsorship packages to attendees of such an event in order to raise funds.<\/p>\n

[contextly_sidebar id=”RH7WKVVNFhiFAiKpn8hxI1nlN9lqu3tu”]Mr Cudjoe, however,\u00a0added that it would be wrong if the expatriates were compelled to pay those amounts in order to get seats at the event.<\/p>\n

He\u00a0noted that the reason the issue became a public discussion is that the Trade Ministry did not handle the whole process well.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy personal opinion is that the Trade Ministry handled this thing quite poorly. Secondly, I have to also say that if you organize a formal programme with business people, there is actually nothing entirely wrong if they paid for tables\u2026unless of course, those sums were indeed extorted. We have to differentiate the two.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franklin Cudjoe argued that \u201cif the sums were not extorted and to the extent that it was a business meeting, and people wanted to sit close to the president there is nothing wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would have thought that if the tables were sold in a manner that made people feel that I\u2019m being made to pay a sum that I don\u2019t like, that\u2019s the difference here. It’s standard practice but I think it was poorly executed by the Ministry, of course that is what I feel,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The IMANI boss made the remark on Citi FM<\/strong>\u2019s new analysis programme, The Big Issue<\/em><\/strong> on Saturday when the issue came up for review in relation to the setting up of a five-member<\/strong><\/a><\/span> Parliamentary Committee to investigate the matter.<\/p>\n

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

The Ministry of Trade allegedly charged expatriates between $25,000 and $100,000<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, to enable them sit close to the President at the awards ceremony, which was organised by the Millennium Excellence Foundation.<\/p>\n

Despite the President clearing the Trade Ministry of any wrongdoing in the matter, the Speaker of Parliament recalled the House on Friday, January 5, 2017, to consider a motion submitted by the Minority Chief Whip in Parliament, Muntaka Mubarak for the setting up of the adhoc committee which was then tasked to probe the claims.<\/p>\n

The Committee has until January 25, 2017 to submit its report.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
\nFollow @AlloteyGodwin<\/a>
\n