NPP ‘steal’ Ghana’s monies with boldness but NDC fear when they’re ‘stealing’– SJM convener

Convener of the Social Justice Movement, Nyeya Yen has detailed what he believes is the difference between the two leading political parties in Ghana, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking in an interview on Dreamz FM’s State of Our Nation, Mr. Nyeya Yen said while both parties engage in corrupt activities and swindle state resources when they are in government, the NDC do so with caution as its government officials are afraid of being found out and facing the consequences of their actions.

The NPP, on the other hand, care less about getting caught when they are engage in corrupt activities, as a result, they are audaciously bold squandering state resources.

He pointed to the scandals surrounding the Agyapa Mineral Royalties Agreement and Aker Energy deal entered into by the Akufo-Addo’s government as basis of his claims.

“The main difference between NDC and NPP, (I may be wrong), is that when the NDC are stealing, they’re afraid but when the NPP are stealing, they steal. But they all steal. But the NPP don’t care about anything when they are stealing. Look at Agyapa and Aker Energy deals,” he said.

Digging further in to why the NPP engage in corrupt activities with such boldness, Mr. Nyeya Yen said groups and organizations including Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the media, traditional and opinion leaders as well as professional groups like the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), which hold governments in check, are less hostile to an NPP government as compare to an NDC government.

According to him, such groups and organizations see the NDC as less of a political party because of the circumstances that led to its formation and thus, tend to be hostile towards its government. They, however, hold the NPP in high esteem and as a result, do not hold its governments accountable for their actions thereby giving them the space to engage in massive corruption.

“The NDC is a subset of the NPP in the sense that the NPP has been a traditional party in Ghana that has its roots from the United Gold Coast Convention that has very good strength and links from feudal aristocracy and money.  So that is why they even survived throughout Nkrumah’s period and that is why they survived the Rawlings’ era and are a party. The NDC is a state party. A state party in the sense that when the PNDC had to give up, they had to find a way to legitimize themselves and that is why they used the state and created the NDC.

And therefore, it is a sub-set of the NPP. So the NPP tend to look down on the NDC and the various establishment like the press, the media and all those who control this country see the NDC as a lesser party than the NPP and that is why sometimes, you have the House of Chiefs, the GBA and others are not as hostile to the NPP as they are hostile to the NDC,” he explained.

On the perception of Ghanaians about both parties, Mr. Nyeya Yen said the NPP is seen as a party of privileged people as result majority of the populace who are less privileged tend to vote the NDC even though it does not really represent their interest when it is in power.