The issue of using state assets, such as government vehicles, for political party activities, has again come to public discussion, following the NPP delegates' congress at Cape Coast during the weekend.
Prior to the congress, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) leadership issued a stringent warning, cautioning its ministers and district chief executives and other government functionaries to desist from sending any state vehicle to the congress.
Speaking to The Chronicle before the congress, the first vice chairman of the party, Mr. Stephen Ntim, said the government must punish any minister or DCE who would send his or her official vehicle to Cape Coast for the function.
Mr. Ntim said, "If the party have any legal mandate, it would begin to prosecute its government officials who are found using state assets for party duties."
He said it was time for the government to start to penalize its officials for using state vehicles for political party errands.
NPP, according Mr. Ntim, when in opposition, were condemning the NDC for using state assets for rallies and other party activities and for that matter, it would be wrong for them to commit this same mistake.
According to Mr. Ntim, the 1992 constitution prohibits the use of state assets for party activities, adding it is the head of state and his vice that are exempted by the constitution from this clause.
"Apart from these two persons, no one is allowed to do so," he reiterated. The first vice chairman, therefore, urged the government to punish all those who would violate this rule.
But, the worry was that most of the officials flouted the warning during the congress.
The Chronicle sources in Cape Coast can reveal that some vehicles believed to belong to the state, found their way to the congress. Some of the vehicles uncovered by The Chronicle were; GW 600 T, a Nissan Patrol, AS 344 T, Pajero, AS 3444 P Land Cruiser, GT 2470 U, Mitsubishi, GW 5385 T Isuzu and GT 8474 T, also Isuzu.
