Cars!! Oh!! Cars: So it’s true after all

The succinct and rather insidious press statement put out by Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa could not convince me to change my mind about politicians.Infact firstly, I harbored an iffy about his press release .I again presumed that he was nitpicking, which hitherto has become usual practice of politicians. I really had no inkling as to how egregious the state car saga was until few days after the rant and needless vituperations of both Kofi Juma and Boabeng Asamoah (both ex-officials) I read that two former Government operatives had returned the state cars they were illegally keeping in their abode. I was speechless. I could not believe that they were really keeping state vehicles in their possession illegally for all these while. Such levels of perversity amounts to prevarication.

Instantly many questions came to mind some of which are obvious:

1. Does it have to take an ultimatum for the state vehicles been illegally kept by the ex.-officials to be returned?

Does it mean also that if the ultimatum had not been given, the ex-government officials would have surreptitiously gone away with the state vehicles?

2. If N.P.P had retained power, would this issue have arisen at all?

3. Could these ex-government officials not have bought their own cars whilst in government to avoid this rather embarrassing scenario?

Finally does this precedence not suggest that probably there might be more rot hiding at the various Ministries and government agencies yet to be discovered?

What is more annoying is Mr. Andrew Awuni's statement to the effect that, the system of selling the state vehicles to the ex-government officials was to prevent the situation where they(ex-officials) would be joining commercial vehicle (Trotro) when they are out of government. Dear reader, is that statement not laughable and ridiculous. Does Mr. Awuni want to say that, apart from the state vehicles, the ex-officials could not purchase their own vehicles? What gibberish!!! What an ignominy.

Were they riding in those cars before they came into Government?

In my candid opinion, Hon. Ablakwah's move teaches a lesson of “Juicy trappings of power with hanging daggers”.

I sincerely think that the government should not in the name of peace and political friendliness gloss-over such egregious act of state loot. Politicians should know that Ghanaians are not stoics. Politicians must also learn to respect the views of the masses at all times.

If an outgoing government sells off all the state cars and bungalows to its officials, what would the incoming ones use in the event of a change of government as we had in 2008?

I am inclined to believe that there is more rot yet to be discovered.

I also must sincerely confess that, the Minority leader's action of returning the state vehicle in his possession is one that deserves commendation. He clearly acted in good faith and I consider him as an outstanding politician and a patriot. Is it not funny that he “drilled” Hon. Ablakwa during the vetting and interestingly he voluntarily responded to the ultimatum to return given the state vehicle in his possession even though his name was not included in the list of arrogant, recalcitrant and unrepentant ex-officials who have refused to heed the call to return the state cars?.

I would like to use this forum to appeal to Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa to review the Government's standpoint in the peculiar case of the Minority leader to purchase the car.

His action touched my heart. In the same vein I would suggest again that, more drastic measures should be adopted to retrieve the cars from those stubborn ones still illegally keeping the state cars in their possession.

In my view Hon. Kyei Mensah Bonsu has exhibited a high moral standard which is worthy of emulation.

But on the other side of the argument, there is the tendency of N.D.C to be lured into the exercise of concentrating on clearing the rot in the system and risk neglecting the real business of governance. I would advice that the two should go concurrently but more emphasis should be placed on development, education, health and the economy than prosecuting the ex-officials. This is because in 2012 Ghanaians would not vote based on the number of ex-officials the N.D.C has been able to jail but rather on the standard of living over the 4 year period under the rule of N.D.C

That notwithstanding, it is a great shame that cars(which is not an asset but a necessity) should generate such a brouhaha to the extent that people like Boabeng Asamoah would arrogantly spew out uncensored words.

I shudder greatly at the “Old lady” Mama Gladys Asmah's utterances on radio to the effect that she had not kept any cars in her deep freezer.

Do these people have manners at all? Is this the way they were talking while in government? Woow!! POLITICIANS CAN CHANGE.

Even though I don't want to be politically skewed, I wish to ask my final question- Where was N.P.P taking Ghanaians forward to?

Help me with an answer.
God bless Ghana.
Author: Nunya Akumey-Affizie
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