Feature: The Analogy Of A Driver’s Mate Vrs A Spare Driver (NDC/NPP)

EPISODE 4

In this episode, let’s turn our attention to the behaviors of the two (the driver’s mate and the spare driver) and draw our conclusions. 

The Behavior of a spare driver

The spare driver, as already indicated, is a qualified driver who for some reasons may be idling. These are their attributes or behaviors:

1. They come in as a stop-gap to support the substantive driver.
2. They drive only in the absence of the original driver. Better still, if it is ‘trotro’, then the mate has to still be with him to make his work easier.
3. Most spare drivers work on weekends or in odd hours when the original drivers are tired.
4. They drive without any guidance so they mostly commit lot of offenses which later puts the substantive driver and the car owner in trouble.
5. Spare drivers work with the view to get more money. In this case they want to get their *’chobo’* as well as the sales, hence they overuse the car which later sends the car to the fitting shop.
6. Most spare drivers have worked their substantive drivers out and later become the substantive drivers either through backbiting (konkonsa), blackmailing or making more sales to attract the owner.
7. Spare drivers don’t normally take the work seriously. That is, they don’t put in their best because they know eventually the car would be taken away from them or they may have to give it back to the substantive driver.
8. Most spare drivers use the car at the blind side of the car owner hence creating problems for the original driver as well as the owner.
9. Most spare drivers refuse to renew their license hence cannot work efficiently and effectively. They therefore prefer to work in the night and in obscured places putting the car at risk.
10. Most spare drivers engage in illegalities such as overloading, abuse of traffic rules and regulations, they mostly drive under the influence of alcohol and eventually cause accidents. It has been observed over the years that most accidents on our roads are caused by Spare drivers.

The behavior of a spare driver leaves much to be desired and a cause  of worry to both the car owner and the original driver.

EPISODE 5

The mate

The mate also called “Aplanke” is a driver’s assistant who partners the driver to work efficiently. The following are the attributes or behaviors of the driver’s mate:

1. The driver’s mate is very obedient and thus follows all instructions of his master or the substantive driver.
2. The mate cannot touch the steer to drive unless the master has given him tutorials.
3. The mate attends all errands of the master without questioning.
4. The mate makes sure that the car is washed and cleaned for the day’s work.
5. He serves as the treasurer of the car. He collects all the money and keeps it until the close of the day and then accounts accurately to the master.
6. He gets up very early in the morning and prepare the car for the day’s work. He makes sure the battery, tyres and wheel bolts are all set in their proper places before the journey starts.
7. The driver  sometimes hands over the steering wheel to the mate under his guidance.
8. It is said that drivers’ mate are far better in driving than those who went to driving schools. The practical tutorials make them more experienced.
9. Driver’s mate normally take instructions from their boss. Hence, they don’t rebel against their masters but are very patient and obedient. They therefore excel when they are given the opportunity to drive.
10. A driver’s mate is trustworthy and for that matter will, under no circumstance,  betray his master.

The issues raised above will determine whether a spare driver will be preferred over an experienced driver’s mate by the car owner.

EPISODE 6

This episode will analyze the earlier ones and leave a thought for the *Car Owner* who are Ghanaian voters to determine who should drive their car (the country, Ghana).

As mentioned earlier, a spare driver needs no direction from anybody because he feels he is experienced and thus already qualified to drive. It is imperative to note that being a spare driver cannot guarantee you are licensed to drive every car. 

If Ghana metaphorically is seen as a car, then the question that arises is: what kind of car is Ghana now?

Can every driver drive any car at all? There are some drivers who find it difficult to drive automatic cars. There are equally those who can’t drive cars with normal (analog) gears.

We are leaving in a technological world where cars have gone through different upgrades and imbued with digitalization and other sophisticated features. Is Ghana now a digitized car or still the analog car? What kind of driver do we need taking technology and modernity into consideration.

Ghana (the Car) indeed needs a driver. As owners of the car, what kind of driver do we need. The car has gone through a lot of transformation. Additionally, it has become more modern and sophisticated.

Do we as car owners need an analog driver?, the driver who has remained idle for almost eight years now or we need the mate who has gone through daily tutelage and has been part of the transformation championing digitalisation.

The choice of the car owners will determine whether we want to advance or still want to remain in the doldrums.

Written By Dr. APC

* The writer is the District Chief Executive of Afigya Kwabre South. 

 Christian Adu Poku