A political analyst, Dr Arthur Kennedy, has criticised the self-serving tendencies of Ghanaian public officials, highlighting a fundamental issue in how problems are addressed in the country.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Newsfile, Dr Kennedy specifically condemned the recent Legislative Instrument (LI) seeking to amend portions of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012, calling it an unfortunate example of this broader problem.

The said LI sought to amend portions of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012 to allow Members of Parliament, Ministers, and judges to use sirens and drive without speed limit.

The L.I. was however withdrawn on Tuesday after public agitations.

However, according to him, the approach taken by leaders often prioritises personal or narrow group interests over the welfare of the larger society.

Read also: Government has no appetite granting siren use rights to MPs, Ministers – Hassan Tampuli

He pointed out that instead of tackling societal issues collectively, there is a tendency to address them in ways that benefit only a select few.

“The problem is that when a Ghanaian sees a problem instead of solving it as a society, we try to solve it just for ourselves. The MPs were trying to solve the problem of traffic congestion just for themselves forgetting that it is their duty to solve it for all of us,” he stated.

He further drew parallels to a previous incident where an MP was murdered, and the immediate response was to enhance security specifically for MPs.

Dr Kennedy questioned this approach, suggesting a more inclusive solution.

“… Why don’t we make sure we improve security in the whole society so all of us can feel safe?” he quizzed.