Ashanti Regional NPP office rent fracas: Chairman Wontumi disagrees with the landlady

The Ashanti Regional Head Office of the ruling New Patriotic Party faces possible closure following the allegation of non-payment of rent arrears.

Last Friday, the landlady stormed the premises and demanded the Party to move out and hand over her building.

A young man, Emmanuel Quanson believed to be the son of the old woman indicated in an interview with the press that the building formerly housed his family until his elder brothers entered an agreement to rent it out to the New Patriotic Party, Ashanti Region for five years.

He further noted that the five years is overdue more than three years amounting to over ¢36,000 and attempts by the mother to claim rent from the Party had proven futile.

Therefore, he said they were there to see the Regional Chairman to claim their rent arrears.

However, speaking on Kumasi-based Kessben FM, the Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako popularly called Chairman Wontumi denied the allegation and indicated that he rather hired the building for 10 years and duly made payment for the entire period.

According to him, after making the full payment for the 10 years, he renovated the house which was not in good shape at the time of the renting. He said that he did the renovation through one Agya Sei who saw the entire renovation and painting of the building.

He notes further that after the renovation, the family duly entered an agreement with him to extend the duration of the rent to cover the entire cost of the renovation.

Additionally, Mr. Antwi-Boasiako noted that he had never charged rent from the old lady for the entire duration that she had stayed in the house and had been the one footing the light bills in the last eight years and has all the receipts to back his claim.