In recent times, Ghanaians have witnessed a series of accidents caused by presidential convoys. This issue has raised many concerns about why government officials and presidential convoys keep getting involved in road accidents under the guise of official duties.
The Kessben TV Regional Correspondent, Tweneboah Koduah, has voiced significant concerns about these tragedies that frequently occur on our roads.
According to him, many people, including security officers and other government officials, have lost their lives due to these accidents. The journalist has cautioned the MTTD to be proactive in controlling the presidential convoys to minimize speeding, especially on the deplorable state of the roads.
“I admit that sometimes, for security reasons, the convoy must act swiftly to prevent any threats, but notwithstanding, officials must also consider the lives of the staffers and their families,” he said.
He connected this issue to an incident on May 19, 2024, where a presidential convoy was involved in an accident that claimed the life of Kwasi Atta, a driver for one of the convoy vehicles returning from Kumasi to Accra. According to Tweneboah, such issues have occurred repeatedly in previous administrations.
During the regime of the late President Jerry John Rawlings, a similar tragedy claimed two lives. In former President Kufuor’s administration, a presidential convoy was involved in an accident that also claimed lives. The former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama’s convoy was involved in a fatal accident that claimed three lives. Under former President John Dramani Mahama, a convoy accident claimed the life of a journalist, with many others injured. Recently, the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Samira Bawumia’s convoy, was also involved in a gory accident that claimed one life. And just yesterday, another presidential convoy accident claimed a life, which is a sudden and alarming situation.
According to the journalist, the roads on which these convoys travel to many functions are very conducive to overspeeding. “Another thing I have also noticed lately is that road users do not pay heed to the presidential convoy, which has also become a major cause of such mysterious road accidents. Nevertheless, the presidential convoy can minimize their speeding on our roads to avoid such occurrences.”
There should be proper checks and controls by the MTTD to educate citizens and presidential staffers who frequently use the roads. Although Ghanaians lack proper roads, education can help minimize the causes of these accidents.
According to him, the Ghanaian constitution does not state anywhere that presidential convoys must overspeed to the extent that no security personnel has the mandate to question them.
“It is high time the security (police) paid serious attention to such mysterious occurrences,” he said.
“I have realized that, of late, presidents travel by air rather than by road, so it would be necessary for the presidential protocol to mitigate and minimize overspeeding on our deplorable roads,” he lamented.
“It is my humble request that government officials and the presidential convoy, especially the protocol, adhere to the normal usage of the road. Despite the security reasons for which presidential convoys overspeed, they can do something about it to avert the frequent accidents involving these convoys,” Tweneboah Koduah wrote.
