The Executive Director of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) is calling for a sense of proportion in what public officials would want the state to bequeath to them as a reward for serving the country.

Dr Gyimah Boadi said the country will be heading for serious trouble if the current trend of the large-scale acquisition of public property by public officials is not curtailed.

"The country cannot afford this," he lamented whilst commenting on the conduct of former Energy Minister Dr Oteng Adjei who appropriated to himself a state vehicle and was still using it even when he was out of office.

The Embattled Minister bought 38 luxury vehicles ostensibly to monitor and supervise progress of work in a rural electrification project.

He then appropriated one of the vehicles, a Lexus LX 570 for his personal use. He kept the vehicle even when he was reshuffled to the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology and still kept it when he was reshuffled out of Government.

The funding for the vehicles was taken from a $350 million US Exim Bank loan.

Following heated criticisms, Dr Oteng Adjei returned the vehicle to the Ministry on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 but the NPP is claiming the former Minister still has one state vehicle in his possession.

Oteng Adjei would not deny or admit keeping the second vehicle, except to dare the NPP to go to court.

Speaking to Joy News Prof Gyimah Boadi said he would be shocked if the former Energy Minister dared anybody to go to court on the matter.

He said there is public morality which public officials must jealously guard adding that all public officials feeding on the largesse of the state must note that "they are not entitled to a better living than those who pay the taxes for their upkeep."

For a country that is reeling under a seemingly eternal power paralysis and tottering economy, Gyimah Boadi said politicians must be a bit a little reasonable in their demands.

"If officials in a non-performing country like Ghana take home so much what will officials in a performing country take?" he asked.