Car grabbing culture can spark uprising - Ras Mubarak

Kumbungu MP Ras Mubarak has criticised the manner in which public officials grab state cars, albeit through a legal process, saying: “The way we are going, we will get to a point where the public will say enough is enough, and will hit the streets like we saw in Egypt and Tunisia or simply keep quiet but refuse to pay taxes.”

According to him, “buying an official vehicle or house after going through the necessary procurement processes is lawful,” “but what is legal may not necessarily be just.”

“This business of NPP and NDC officials doing it because it is lawful is undermining public confidence in politicians, and we ought to be careful,” the NDC lawmaker said, adding: “Can you believe a car was sold to [Nana] Akomea and others in the Kufour era for a pittance? Though lawfully acquired, can you say that it is just? And same goes for NDC former officials.”

Mr Mubarak’s comments come on the back of an allegation by the new government that 208 cars are missing from the presidential fleet after the Mahama administration left office. The NDC has fought back saying it left behind 641 cars at the Flagstaff House and challenged the Akufo-Addo led government to point out the missing 208.

Meanwhile, the government has formed a taskforce to retrieve state assets, including cars, from former government officials. The homes of the NDC’s National Organiser Kofi Adams as well as Mr James Agyenim-Boateng, former Aide to former Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, were raided recently by state security officials and soldiers in connection with efforts to retrieve state cars they had allegedly acquired illegally.