Siren for Envoys?

When early on Sunday the 4^th of February 2007, I saw two police motor outriders blaring their siren and clearing traffic on the Kasoa-Winneba road, I thought it was one of our new local potentates abusing the already much-abused system of unnecessary siren-blaring.

I was seriously surprised when I saw that it was a black stretch limousine with an American flag fluttering on the bonnet, presumably transporting the US ambassador. I am surprised because I’ve never seen anyone apart from Head of state/government being accorded this privilege anywhere in the world. Some questions readily pop into mind:

i. Does the Ghanaian ambassador in the US enjoy reciprocal privilege of blaring siren on American streets as does the US envoy here? If not, why not?

ii. Do other envoys posted in this country enjoy this privilege, or is it reserved only for the US envoy? If so, why so?

iii. Has Ghana become a vassal state of the US?

To our local potentates for whom the blaring of siren is considered part of the appurtenances of their office, I urge them to remember that power is very transient. They soon will come down from their high horses and join the rest of us mere mortals as we get stuck in our traffic jams, while choking from the noxious fumes from the dilapidated trotros that’s our only mode of transport.