Legitimization Of Criminality: The Issue Of NPP's Invincible Forces And 'Stolen' Government Assets

Madam Chief of Staff
Reference your letter, STATEMENT ON RETRIEVAL OF STATE ASSETS UNLAWFULLY POSSESSED BY INDIVIDUALS, dated February 3, 2017.

I read your letter as stated above with fear and trepidation. It is not because I am in possession of a State vehicle or have ever be assigned one to my possession. It is because, this letter is coming on the back of NPP's Invisible forces invading government offices, and flats demanding the removal of legally employed and mandated employees from such flats and offices, and also individual homes suspected to have had dealings with the NDC government or NDC party, to humiliate, and to forcefully take away their movable properties without due regard to the law.

Why am I opposed to this letter?
Madam Chief of Staff, there are rules, processes and procedures that govern the acquisition, distribution, assigning, and retrieval of government properties so assigned to institutions and persons.

Acquisition of State properties are well documented through the procurement process (where the chassis number and descriptions of the vehicles are critical components of identification submitted by the Vehicle Vendors or Sellers to buyers I.e. Government), registration process with the DVLA (where the chassis ID's and other descriptions of the vehicles are documented and assigned DVLA registrations, i.e. number plates), these details are recorded by the government institutions responsible by their, Administrators, Procurement Departments, Transport Departments or any other Department so assigned.

These documents and records can also be found with other relevant agencies such as the Ghana Revenue Authority, GRA (Customs Division) for tax or tax exemption purposes, Insurance Agencies, etc.

The above processes and procedures are deliberately designed to leave audit trail and for easy identification, location, and status of the vehicles at any given time. If government indeed want to retrieve a missing or a stolen vehicle or assets, the records are there to help government without unnecessarily creating these tensions and suspicions. These assets can be traced very easily and retrieved without all these cacophonous behaviours and experiences that the country is being exposed to.

I humbly suggest that, the approach as stated in your letter is most unfortunate and uncalled for. If indeed these properties are stolen, the records will show the exact persons who must be brought to justice. And indeed if they are found out, they must be brought to justice without fear or favour.

This approach as feared and already being experienced, has resulted in a Rambo style of jungle behaviours on our streets where innocent people are being harassed by some Police officers, and lawless people for self aggrandizement. It is also an avenue for criminals who are in possession of this letter and with arms to rob innocent people and private institutions of their hard earned properties.

Madam Chief of Staff, I humbly suggest that this letter is withdrawn to save the public and innocent people from unnecessary embarrassment, ridicule and harassment by lawless hoodlums.

Let us not legitimize criminality. It can become a whirlwind that might be difficult to control.

Shalom.