A former deputy Minister of Communications under the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, Felix Kwakye-Ofosu, believes the current government did not look hard enough for the cars it claims are unaccounted for at the presidency before jumping to conclusions.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, the former Deputy Minister said the government jumped to conclusions on the matter merely for political propaganda.
The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugine Arhin, had said there were at least 208 cars unaccounted for at the presidency’s car pool, and that the President was left with only 10-year-old BMW for official use.
Government later made available a documents detailing a list of 173 serviceable vehicles left behind by the NDC administration indicating that there were four bulletproof vehicles for use by the President as claimed by the NDC.
The NDC also released a document with 641 vehicles which were listed and properly accounted for saying they were captured in the handing over notes.
Mr. Ofosu Kwakye recounted that the current government’s side of the transition team had an Executive Access Committee, chaired by Nii Ayikoi Otoo, which was taken around to where the 370 vehicles were kept.
He also noted that “it is not only at the Flagstaff House where cars belonging to the presidency are kept. There are vehicles that belong to the Presidency that are used by ministers and deputy ministers so you would find them at the various ministries, departments and agencies.”
“Mr. Ayikoi Otoo’s committee was given a total of 370 vehicles and they inspected each of these vehicles. They were taken to all the places where these vehicles are kept and they took receipt of 370 vehicles. Now the outstanding vehicles were accounted for as per the documents released yesterday,” he revealed.
Arhin didn’t make thorough checks
Mr. Kwakye-Ofosu asserted that, the handover notes for the current government had a list of vehicles with persons or units within the presidency who are using these vehicles, but added that “it does appear to me that they [government] are unprepared to peruse the various sets of documentation.”
According to him, all government had to do was to look through the various agencies, but in his view, “it is obvious he [Eugine Arhin] didn’t have access to all the information regarding this matter. He should have taken his time and allowed the people at the Transport section of the Flagstaff House to be properly engaged… for instance, I don’t know if he has spoken to the Ayikoi Otoo committee.”
“If they were not minded to do any political propaganda, all they could have done was to cross-reference against the list that has been provided, and whether there are gaps, then you contact the specific individuals or units,” Mr. Kwakye Ofosu stated.
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