The NIA management was reacting to earlier investigations by Adom New’s Abednego Asante Asiedu which revealed that more than 47 vehicles supposedly damaged and belonging to the authority have been abandoned at its car park at the mercy of the of the elements for over five months.

 

The abandoned vehicles include Nissan Pickup trucks and a variety of Tata buses. Most of the vehicles have 2014 registration number plates with very little damage like a flat tire, while others sported damaged bumpers, broken windscreens and faulty car batteries which could be fixed easily.

 

But in an interview with Adom News, the Public Affairs Director of NIA, Bertha Dzeble rubbished claims that the authority has abandoned the vehicles to rot.

 

“It’s not all the vehicles that are useless as reported earlier and the NIA have also not abandoned it to go waste” Ms. Dzeble stressed.

 

She noted that recently, the management of the authority held a meeting to discussed the state of the authority’s properties which the vehicles was also part of the issues they raised at the meeting adding that a committee have been set in order to examine the state of the existing cars.

 

Ms. Dzeble stated that the authority purchased most of the vehicles in 2008 for the nationwide mass registration which they have maintained it up to date and the NIA rather deserves commendation not condemnation.

 

“These vehicles were purchased in 2008 and the authority have not purchase new cars for any operations because of our good maintenance culture,” Ms. Dzeble emphasized.

 

She noted that the NIA have vehicles that are being used daily to carry out its duties but vehicles parked at the car park were used for the nationwide exercise and the authority is in process of maintaining them.

 

The vehicles with 2014 registration number plates are number plates, according to Ms. Dzeble are measures to follow directive from the presidency that all government vehicles must get same number plates to be able to monitor the movement and utilization of all motorized vehicles belonging to Government.

 

The directive is to ensure a judicious application of Government expenditure, specifically on the utilization of government vehicles in Ghana, as part of Government desire to prudently manage public resources.

 

Discussing the way forward of the NIA, Ms. Dzeble indicated that the authority is currently engaging its stakeholders and will soon engage the media to brief them about its activities.