Former Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), George Krobea Asante, has described the introduction of the TrafficTech-GH system as unnecessary, arguing that government should prioritise addressing the economic hardships confronting ordinary Ghanaians.
Speaking during a panel discussion on Angel FM’s ‘Anɔpa Bɔfoɔ’ on Tuesday, November 3, he said the country was facing more pressing challenges, including hunger, unemployment and financial difficulties, which required urgent government attention.
Mr. Asante acknowledged that traffic enforcement systems could help generate revenue for national development, noting that countries around the world use penalties imposed on traffic offenders to raise funds.
However, he questioned the timing of the initiative, insisting that government must first fulfil its responsibility of providing basic necessities for citizens.
“It’s good. At least in every country, they use the deviant characters to generate money to develop the country. But there’s hunger in the country. There
are more pressing issues,” he stated.
To illustrate the economic difficulties facing ordinary workers, Mr. Asante cited a hypothetical situation involving a worker earning GHS 1,500 monthly, with GHS 500 deducted as loan repayment.
“My pay is GHS 1,500 and I’ve gone for a loan from a bank where they deduct GHS 500 every month, and you’re saying because I didn’t follow some rules so you’ve deducted my 500 cedis?,” he said.
He questioned the fairness of imposing additional financial penalties on such individuals for traffic violations when they were already struggling to meet their basic needs.
He further stressed that although citizens have responsibilities to fulfil, government also has constitutional obligations towards the people.
According to him, the relationship between citizens and government must be based on shared responsibility, where citizens are expected to respect the law while the state ensures their rights and welfare are protected.
“There is a shared responsibility so the citizen can enjoy their responsibility. You can enjoy rights, but rights go with responsibility. So the people whom we have handed the Constitution to, what is their responsibility?” he questioned.
Source: Abigail Ekua Arhin
