Founder of the political movement, The New Force, Nana Kwame Bediako, says he has no intention of duping the good people of Ghana in his quest to become president.
In an interview on TV3, Mr Bediako, also known as Cheddar, stated that his virtual crowdfunding platform, named the “Save Ghana Fund” which seeks to generate GHC100 million from the public to undertake projects and campaign ahead of the polls, is not meant to syphon money from innocent citizens.
According to him, he is well-to-do and does not need to dupe Ghanaians to become rich. He added that such a perception could come from ignorant people.
“A GHC100 million is a lot of money but I have that same money just to buy a house in LA. I have worked hard to get me some money and invest hundreds of millions in dollars in the country that I am from. So I don’t think I need their money to make a ponzi scheme to become rich. Then I think it is ignorance. People will say what they like,” he said.
A Ponzi scheme is a type of investment scam that promises high returns with little or no risk to investors. The scheme generates returns for earlier investors by acquiring new investors. Instead of investing the funds, the scheme operator uses them to pay returns to earlier investors or to withdraw for personal use.
Mr Bediako further explained that it is not far-fetched for a leader to engage citizens for support. He noted such practice can be seen in the western world.
“When you go to the Western world, anyone who wants to be a leader, goes to seek funding from the nation, asking them to donate. Whether it was Obama who was poor before becoming president, or Trump who was extremely rich before becoming president.
“You need the people to empower. You need the people to put you in that position,” he said.
Mr Bediako further added that “When you come to Africa, it is completely reverse. The politician will go to the people and say take money, go and vote for me and when they become president, they take the money hundred times.”
The New Force has unveiled its virtual crowdfunding platform, named the “Save Ghana Fund.”
In a video message released on May 6th as part of the launch, the leader of The New Force, Nana Kwame Bediako, called on the people of Ghana to support the movement and its cause.
Mr Bediako’s message urges the nation to break away from the culture of political candidates buying votes, highlighting how this practice undermines the genuine and free choice of voters and distorts the true aspirations and investments of the people.
“A call to you and to everyone who cares about the future of Ghana: The New Force movement seeks to ensure our commitment to the nation and to each other in the pursuit of equality, empowerment, and equity for all in our society. The campaign is built on three key values: visibility, accessibility, and transparency.”
In his brief video message accompanying the launch, the leader of The New Force movement emphasized that vote-buying tarnishes democracy by perpetuating the mismanagement of the nation’s resources and fostering a culture of corruption.