Former President J.A. Kufuor has urged
political party leaders and their supporters to put road-safety ahead of any
other considerations during the campaign season, given the high accident figures
during the period. “Why do political parties take the trouble to move
about in convoys? We rally to live. If you want power, it is to govern to make
lives better for people. But if in the process you risk lives unnecessarily,
then you are missing the point’’.
“I believe it is good that we remind
ourselves and the entire nation that, yes it is important to move around and
convince people as to why they should rally to the support of party A or B, but
along the way, we should never forget that it is for life not for death, “he
said, when officials of the National Road Safety Commission ( NRSC) paid a
courtesy call on him at his Airport Residential Area home in
Accra.
Don’t risk lives
The visit was to invite the former
President to an NRSC-organised political parties’ dialogue slated for September
20 to deliberate and get the commitment of the parties on reducing road
accidents, especially during the election campaign.
A victim of road
accidents himself on two different occasions, former President Kufuor recalled
an accident he was involved in in 1996 and also while in office, saying “thanks
be to God, otherwise people will be talking about me in past tense.”
“It
is important we are careful. In about two to three months, we are going to the
polls to pick our President and parliamentarians. If we really do not want to
live to see what will happen, why do we make the effort?
“We should never
risk lives through careless driving. People should not drink and drive during
such occasions, “he said.
The former President accepted the invitation
and pledged to support the commission in its efforts.
The Executive
Director of the commission, Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah, earlier said the commission
had since 2008 decided to step up its game in election years because of the
rather high accident rates and the attendant deaths.
She said given the
size of the commission, it was crucial to bring notable personalities including
the country’s two former Presidents—Messrs Kufuor and J.J. Rawlings — on board
to play advocacy roles as they have a lot of influence on the
public. |
| |
|
|
|
