I was mocked for driving my old car after leaving office - Former Northern Regional Minister

Abdallah Abubakari, a former Northern Regional Minister, has revealed that he faced ridicule from his community for continuing to drive an old car after leaving office.

In a recent interview that has been shared on social media, he highlighted the societal pressures and expectations surrounding public officials in Ghana.

He shared his experiences following his brief tenure as a minister, which lasted less than nine months.

According to him, after the 2016 elections, when the NDC lost power, he resumed driving his Toyota Highlander, a 2005 model he had purchased while serving as Programmes Manager at IBIS.

"I had the opportunity to serve as a minister for less than nine months. After the 2016 election, I went and picked up my Highlander, which I bought when I was the programmes manager at IBIS. I was the programmes director when I bought the Highlander 2005 model.

"When I left the office and drove it to Walewale several times, people started laughing at me.

"They wanted to point out how useless I had been, but my uselessness was not based on my failure to deliver my mandate as a minister.

"Rather, my failure, as they saw it, was as a regional minister: How come you don't have a brand-new Porsh V8 with a potbelly that shines out of corruption?' That is the lens through which people judge achievements in Ghana. And that is why we have a problem," he lamented.

Abubakari emphasized the need for cultural change, urging that efforts to combat corruption must begin with the younger generation.

"Let's catch the young ones before they become as corrupt as we are," he advised.

Former Northern Regional Minister, Abdallah Abubakari shares how he was mocked by his community for using an old car model after leaving office following months of government service. pic.twitter.com/B5wxELHX3u

— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) May 15, 2024