Why I bought a pickup instead of V8 with my car loan – Former NPP MP

Bernard Okoe-Boye, a former New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, has disclosed why he opted to buy a pickup with his MP car loan at a time when his colleagues were going in for Toyota V8s.

According to Okoe-Boye, the need to run a transparent administration in the constituency meant that he came down to the level of all his constituents in order to better relate with them.

The former deputy Minister of Health enumerated a number of steps he took in this regard including lobbying for road projects, running medical outreaches and modestly opting for a pickup.

“That is why I did not go in for V8 with my car loan, I got a pickup and it was transparent. In fact, when I started using it, all four windows were transparent, but break-ins were happening because people could see what was in the car, so it was the back glasses that were tinted, so when I am driving, you see me.

He continued that he refused to have a driver and security personnel for the reason that constituents had previously pointed to big cars with tinted glasses and policemen as put offs when it came to approaching their MPs.

“That is why I was not chauffeured because they made comments like, you see them (MPs), there is a policeman around. That is why I never had any police, I just made sure for security reasons, I had a friend by me at any time,” he stressed.

He emphasized that during his time as MP, he did a lot and tried to relate well with the people by playing football; through his medical outreach and bike riding sessions that helped him meet one-on-one with people and seek their concerns and views on a myriad of issues.

Okoe-Boye was speaking on the Face To Face program on Accra-based Citi TV, addressing issues about his parliamentary loss and his role in Ghana’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

He lost his parliamentary seat to the National Democratic Congress candidate Benjamin Ayiku Narteh. His loss followed a trend where sitting MPs either lost their party primaries or re-election bids.