play videoJoseph Cudjoe explained that some MPs rented cars before coming to Parliament
• MPs are to benefit from a $28 million loan to buy cars
• The Minister for Public Enterprises has said that the money is necessary to help them
• Joseph Cudjoe explained that many MPs have relocated to Accra resulting in them renting cars for work
The Minister for
Read full articlePublic Enterprises, Joseph Cudjoe, has revealed that there are MPs who once rented cars in order to carry out their duties and remain in touch with their people.
He explained that this became necessary because as part of their work, many of them have to relocate to Accra, in order to fulfil their duties in parliament, as well as being the representative their constituents expect of them, within their communities.
Joseph Cudjoe was speaking in response to a questioned posed him by Nii Akwei Ismail Akwei, host of GhanaWeb TV's flagship program, The Lowdown, on whether or not he thought the $28 million to be shared to MPs to purchase vehicles was a productive venture.
The minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Effia constituency, painted a picture of how some MPs have to often travel long distances just to stay in touch with their constituents.
"$28 million for 275 Members of Parliament. So, if a young man, maybe a teacher, has the aspirations to become an MP, wants to contribute to community development, and you have some Volkswagen (VW) Golf 3, that in that community, you can drive, and all of a sudden, because of the servitude that is seen in you, you are appointed as an MP and you're now in Accra and you have moved from Yagba/Kubore, are you going to speak against a government that says this young man should be supported with this car so that his constituents who want to see him as often as is possible, you say he should use his VW Golf 3, from Accra, Parliament House, and drive weekly to Yagpa/Kubore?"
He explained further that the loan is necessary because he knows MPs who have once rented cars before to do their work and such an arrangement will only make their work much easier.
"When I became an MP, I had a car but it doesn't mean MPs are born with cars. I know some became Members of Parliament, they were renting cars because of the distance," he explained.
The Lowdown shows every Monday on GhanaWeb TV on YouTube on Ghanaweb TV
