Ex-spokesperson to President JA Kufuor, Mr. Andrew Awuni has expressed regrets over the needless politicisation of the practice in which public officials are allowed to retire with their vehicles. According to him, the spirit behind the practice is to prevent former public officials from joining ‘trotro’ and taxi queues soon after retirement. He was responding to government accusations that he held on to his official vehicle unduly on Joy FM’s news analysis programme News File on Saturday. He argued that civil and heads of public servants have over the years benefited from the practice but have not generated the furore it has now largely because it has been handled well. He dismissed assertions that the phenomenon of public officials retiring with vehicles was introduced by the NPP, saying the convention predates the NPP, the NDC through to the PNDC. “In 1992 officials of PNDC retired with their vehicles. In 1996 officials of NDC retired with their vehicles. In 2001, NDC officials again retired with their vehicles and in 2009 we are doing same.” The attempt should not be created as if it is the officials of the NPP who have introduced this policy, he pointed out. Even though he expressed interest in purchasing his official vehicle, he said he “felt uncomfortable” with government press conference accusing past officials of criminally holding on to their cars and had to return it. He said he has for the past four months been in constant communication with the seat of government in relation to his intended purchase, dismissing assertions that he held on to the vehicle illegally. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline