A proposed Legislative Instrument (LI) that aims to grant Members of Parliament (MPs) and judges the ability to bypass road traffic has sparked widespread criticisms, with prominent voices from civil society and media calling for its immediate withdrawal.
This controversial move, framed as a measure of efficiency, is being described by many as a blatant display of political privilege and detachment from the daily struggles of ordinary Ghanaians.
Musa Danquah, Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, strongly criticized the move, arguing that the LI redefines emergency services to unjustifiably include politicians and judges.
“This is twisted logic or symptoms of a failed state”, Mr Danquah asserted, further stating that the solution lies not in granting special privileges but in better journey planning and time management.
He suggested that MPs should receive training on using modern tools like Google Maps to navigate traffic effectively.
“Maybe we need to call the MPs out and demand each MP to show his/her position on the proposed amendment. They should vote it down or withdraw it. Any MP who supports this LI should be targeted for removal. We are tired of them. If a judge is late to a court, no one will die. If a politician is late to work, no one will die”.
Musa Danquah, Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics
Furthermore, Mr Danquah pointed out that one of the few things ordinary citizens share in common with the politicians are road traffic and bad roads, arguing that if political leaders succeed in passing such legislation, they will not make the effort to fix the problem because it will not affect them.
Mr Danquah highlighted a key concern that such privileges would further diminish the impetus for infrastructural improvements.
LI Missess Priorities
Moreover, Saddick Adams, a renowned sports journalist and activist, echoed similar sentiments and criticized the ineffectiveness of past transport ministers and the persistent reliance on outdated infrastructure designs.
Mr Adams highlighted the hypocrisy of MPs who are entrusted with policy-making yet choose to escape the very issues they are supposed to address.
“Our cities are so choked. We’ve had Railway ministers for over a decade but only exhibition trains we see. We have largely relied on Guggisberg transport design without any significant improvement in the area.
“People spend two hours commuting to jobs just 10km away. But the men & women paid to think of policies & clothed with power to create alternative transport are rather passing laws that will allow them to escape the traffic situation”.
Saddick Adams, renowned Sports Journalist and Activist
Mr Adams also pointed out the numerous advantages already enjoyed by MPs, such as free fuel coupons and immunity from rising transport costs, which further distance them from the realities faced by ordinary citizens.
He compared the significant disparities in privileges public officials in Ghana enjoy to other public officials in different countries including Members of Parliaments and judges, adding that “Elsewhere your colleagues are joining public trains to parliament”.
“When the whole nation was grappling with a financial crisis, it was a new comfortable chamber you wanted to build,” Mr Adams stated, drawing a stark contrast between Ghanaian MPs and their counterparts in other countries.
The renowned Sports Journalist warned that MPs should not play the victim when the public’s patience runs out, questioning whether political leaders in the country are in leadership positions to serve themselves or the citizens.
“You have tested our patience for far too long. Don’t play victim on that day because none will be spared”, Mr Adams concluded.
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