Fleet Of Cars In Prez Convoy Too Many..& Speed Is 'Totally Crazy' - Pratt

Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt has questioned the procession of vehicles that travel with the President on assignments. Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Kwesi Pratt was of a strong view that the long fleet of vehicles that accompany the President's convoy is unnecessary. Three months ago, a presidential press corps travelling with President John Dramani Mahama was involved in an accident resulting in the death of one journalist and another critically injured. On Monday, 12th October, 2015, another group of media personnel, this time a regional team attached to the presidential convoy were also involved in an accident in the Western Region. The accident reportedly occurred as the team was returning from the region after commissioning a new Senior High School. Although the journalists sustained minor injuries, one of them, Obrempong Yaw Ampofo, who is Citi FM’s Western Regional Correspondent, has been admitted at the Kwesimintsim Polyclinic in Takoradi. But hours after that near-tragic incident, Presidential Staffer Stan Dogbe took to his Facebook wall and dismissed claims of any accident "involving the Flagstaff House Press Corps or any vehicle from the Flagstaff House" in the Western Region. According to him, "the team with the President on his ‪#‎Changinglives‬ tour of the Western Region has long arrived in the Central Region," and further lashed out at the media for their "irresponsible reports". "At least, as leader of the Communications Team on this trip, none of the media houses engaged in this irresponsible reports have contacted me or the Minister for Communications, Edward Omane Boamah to verify the story," he added. Addressing the issue, Mr. Pratt believed the number of cars that join the Presidential convoy is one major cause of road accidents adding that sometimes over a 30-vehicle convoy - with some of them having no business being part of the motorcade - will be driving along with the president. The seasoned journalist was aghast at the long convoys of luxurious cars led by long dispatch riders criss-crossing the country at breakneck speed, and wondered why Ghanaian leaders have still not taken a cue from their Western counterparts. “The huge number of vehicles stretching as far as the eye can see backs traffic up inconveniencing motorists...and has been an issue for many years...they often-times criss-cross the country at breakneck speed....Why are we not picking any lessons from it? If the number of vehicles is the high side, it’s very difficult to have proper control measures in place,” he stated.

Source: Adu Gyamfi Ameyaw/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana