16-SUV Veep convoy: Stephen Adei 'overreacted' – Awuni

Professor Stephen Adei overreacted when he claimed he saw the Vice-President with a 16-SUV long convoy on his way to Cape Coast recently, former presidential press secretary Andy Awuni has said.

Prof Adei who was speaking at the 20th anniversary celebration of international audit firm Morrison and Associations, said such a large convoy is a blot on government’s good record in office so far.

"…So far, the government is doing well except that if you go to the right quarters tell them that the next time I see Bawumia or any of them travelling with 16 four-wheel drives and then occupying the two lanes, so that coming and going should stop, I am going to do a one-man crusade,” Prof Adei said.

"That must be stopped at once,” he noted.

But Mr Awuni explains that: “Prof Adei overreacted and I also thought that he was a bit presumptuous in thinking that he could overtake the Vice-President’s convoy and to stop the convoy”.

He indicated that it would have been risky if he [had] tried to stop the convoy because “we know the good Prof and we love him but he should be careful because he could be putting himself in the line of fire if he attempts that kind of thing. The security boys who deal with that kind of thing don’t know our beloved Prof so he should slow down”.

According to him, presidents and their deputies do not need more than two vehicles when travelling.

“Whether it is the president or the vice-president, they don’t need more than two vehicles and they don’t use more than two vehicles,” Dr Awuni told Moro Awudu on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Monday, 16 October.

He added that other vehicles that bloat the convoy of the president and his vice are those for security, protocol and backup services in times of emergencies, hence vehicles in the convoys are normally five. Sometimes, there are extra two cars for the press and an ambulance to add up to seven.

Mr Awuni condemned individuals who join the convoy illegally.

“We have a cultural problem and people like ‘eye service’. As soon as the convoy gets out, supposing he is going to Osu, the Osu DCE wants to be part of the convoy, the Osu Police Commander wants to be part of the convoy. Depending on where he is going, if it is got to do with ministry, the minister wants to be part of the convoy and do not want to go and wait at the destination. The deputy minister, Chief Directors and sometimes traditional rulers and constituency executives all want to follow the convoy,” he lamented.