Former National Chairman for the People’s National Convention (PNC) and convener of Arise Ghana, Bernard Mornah, has advised all leaders from the political sector and other fields to place priority on the welfare of their personal drivers.
His admonition comes following the recent road accident involving President Akufo-Addo’s convoy at Bunso in the Eastern Region.
One of the president’s vehicles was reported to have been crossed by a KIA Rhino truck, resulting in the crash on Bunso road. The incident claimed the life of the driver of the Toyota Land Cruiser on the spot, while three other occupants of the vehicle sustained varying degrees of injury.
According to reports, President Akufo-Addo, who attended the funeral of former Deputy Finance Minister John Kumah in Kumasi over the weekend, was not in the convoy during the accident.
However, speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning, Mr. Mornah emphasised that such occurrences are a result of the drivers not being cared for. He noted that they are the pinnacle of the leaders’ lives.
“Unfortunately for most of us, we take them that they’re robots, and these people work because while we are there talking on the platform, they’re in the car ready to take off because when you descend, the car must be ready to move. The security has to be everywhere; most often, it’s just shear fatigue, and when you’re fatigued, the simplest thing is that you get a loss of concentration, and these things happen.”
“We should, as leaders, give priority to these people that are with us. We may look at them from the lower level, but I look at them as the peak of our lives because the day they get fatigued, we don’t exist,” the former PNC chairman counselled.
Mr. Mornah described his encounter with several drivers, which made him realise that they work continuously without rest. Consequently, he said he developed a relationship with his drivers and pays attention to their well-being whenever he travels with them.
His experience with them encouraged the Arise Ghana convener to always sympathise with drivers in every situation, ensuring that their welfare is properly taken care of at any event or function they attend together.
“As soon as we get to a place, I instruct my security and drivers to go and get food because when I finish eating, I have to be on the move. By that time, they have not finished eating; they’ll not say, boss, we’ve not finished eating, so can you wait for us? So, my personal decision has always been that when we get to a place, I’m not the prime person to be looked after.”
He expressed his sincere condolences to the family of the late driver and sympathises with the presidency.
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