Aspiring presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ing. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, has pledged to end the culture of ministers and government appointees using motorcades if elected President.
Speaking in an interview monitored by AP Media, the former NPP General Secretary and Press Secretary to President John Agyekum Kufuor described the practice as wasteful, unnecessary, and a drain on state resources.
“Our politicians don’t seem to learn from past mistakes. Every minister wants to use a motorcade. Under Kufuor, it was not like that. His Chief of Staff, Mr. Kwadwo Mpianin, avoided motorcades and often drove himself to work, unnoticed by the public,” Ing. Agyepong said.
He recalled how he personally set an example during his time in government by refusing to use motorcades and still arriving punctually to work.
According to him, public officials should experience the same daily challenges faced by ordinary Ghanaians, especially traffic, if they are to better understand the realities of the people they serve.
“Unless it is an urgent or emergency situation requiring your presence, why not drive like every other Ghanaian? The use of motorcades has become a badge of honour, even in the evenings when there is no traffic,” he lamented.
Ing. Agyepong described the practice as a form of indiscipline that fuels the perception of arrogance and superiority among political leaders.
He stressed that, under his presidency, ministers and appointees will be required to abide by clear rules:
“If you are a minister and you don’t want to use the traffic like every Ghanaian, how do you know what they are going through? These things should stop, and if I am elected President, they will stop,” he declared.
The NPP flagbearer hopeful concluded by urging his party to win the trust of Ghanaians through messages of hope, humility, and respect—not displays of arrogance or extravagance.
