The North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has criticized the proposed Legislative Instrument (L.I.) that sought to allow MPs and Ministers to use sirens and be exempted from speed limits, calling it "so needless" and "a useless distraction."

Mr. Ablakwa highlighted that many lawmakers within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were unhappy with the L.I., as they were unaware of its specifics until it became public.

“When this matter became public on our platforms, many MPs said, what is this? We are seeing it for the first time. It was Franklin Cudjoe who put it up. There were protests. MPs were not happy. That is why our caucus leader had to issue a statement. Could you believe that even the leadership of our caucus didn’t know the content of this?” he said on JoyFM’s SMS on July 18.

The revelation that the minority leadership was uninformed led to calls for the L.I.'s withdrawal.

Mr Ablakwa explained, “He also issued a memo to leadership of all committees that, before any matter is finalized and laid on the floor, they should let him see it. I have received a copy of that memo. So look, I have said publicly that I don’t support this. I think it’s needless.”

Expressing his opposition to the L.I., Mr. Ablakwa argued for easing road congestion for all citizens rather than granting privileges to specific groups.

“Why not ease the burden for everybody? Why do you want to take the ruling class out and I have seen that, from what has been put out in the media, they have added security operatives and all that. It is such a wide ambit. We don’t need that.”

He further emphasized, “This is so needless. It is a useless distraction. I am surprised that such a thing was brought to the house in the first place and contemplated.”

In response, Nana Akomea, Managing Director of the State Transport Corporation (STC), accused the NDC of hypocrisy. He pointed out that the chairperson of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee is an NDC member, suggesting that the L.I. came from a minority-led committee.

“There is an attempt to put it on government. That it is government that is bringing an L.I. I could say to you that the subsidiary legislation is chaired by the NDC. So if anything goes through that committee, then whatever goes through there is inspired by the NDC.”

Deputy Transport Minister Hassan Tampuli expressed relief that the L.I. had been withdrawn, acknowledging that it originated from the committee and not the government.

“So these provisions were not from the government, it came from Parliament and nobody among the Subsidiary Legislation Committee can say, it isn’t from there and we are happy to be withdrawing this L.I.,” Tampuli noted.