By Ghana News
Copyright ghanamma
Aspiring presidential candidate Ing Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, a contender in the upcoming January 31, 2026, presidential primaries, has pledged to curb the lavish spending and ostentatious displays of government appointees.
Agyepong stressed that one of the key issues that has frustrated Ghanaians for years is the excessive use of motorcades by public officials. He described the practice as unnecessary and a wasteful drain on state resources.
According to him, government appointees should experience the daily challenges faced by ordinary citizens in order to better understand their struggles.
He made these remarks during an interview on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, hosted by Kwabena Agyapong.
Agyepong recalled how the former Chief of Staff under President John Agyekum Kufuor, Kwadwo Mpianin, set a commendable example by rejecting the opulence of power. He noted that he, too, avoided using motorcades during his time as Press Secretary for the former President.
He expressed concern that successive governments have perpetuated a culture in which every minister feels entitled to a motorcade.
“Our politicians don’t seem to learn from past mistakes. Every minister wants to use a motorcade. Under Kufuor, it was not like that. His Chief of Staff, Mr. Kwadwo Mpianin, avoided motorcades and would often drive himself to work, unnoticed by the public,” he said.
“Unless it is an urgent or emergency situation requiring your presence, why not drive like every other Ghanaian? I never used a motorcade, and I always arrived at work on time. The use of motorcades has become a virtual badge of honour. People are even using them in the evenings when there is no traffic,” he added.
Agyepong described the practice as a form of indiscipline that reinforces the perception that those in authority are superior to ordinary citizens.
“These things should stop, and if I am elected President, I will lay down the rules for my team, and it will stop. If you are a minister and you don’t want to use the traffic like every Ghanaian, how do you know what they are going through?” he questioned.
He concluded by emphasizing the need for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to win the hearts and minds of the electorate with messages of hope and respectful discourse, rather than arrogance.
