The Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Mpiani has ordered the former Minister of Tourism, Madam Hawa Yakubu to return her official car immediately, “to avoid any embarrassment”. Madam Yakubu, who is also the NPP Member of Parliament for Bawku Central resigned her position as Tourism Minister to enable her to take up a seat at the ECOWAS Parliament.
A letter from the Chief of Staff’s Office asked her to return the vehicle – a VW Passat by close of work on Friday August 29, 2003. The letter, which referred to an earlier one dated May 16, stated in part, “your continued use of the car is causing a lot of inconvenience to another appointee who is earmarked to use it”.
Then the warning came, “it is hoped that you will heed this advice to avoid any embarrassment”.
When Madam Yakubu was contacted, she explained that she started finding ways of getting a new car when she resigned her position because she had not accessed the MP’s $20,000 car loan.
“Then a friend of mine (name withheld), who is also a friend of the Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Mpiani, informed me that she had got a note from Mr Mpiani to buy a car by auction. I also approached Mr Mpiani for one of such vehicles to enable me return the Ministry’s official car. He asked me not to worry as no one was coming to collect the official car yet”.
She said while in Abuja attending meetings of the ECOWAS Parliament, two men were sent to her house to retrieve the car. “When I returned, I explained to the Office of the Chief of Staff that I was then going to access the $20,0000 loan and get a vehicle, to return this to them”, she added.
