The Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Mr Eric Edem Agbana, has given a candid insight into why politicians sometimes fail to answer phone calls, describing the pressure of public service as overwhelming and often unseen.
In a deeply personal Facebook post titled _”Midnight musings!!!”_, the MP narrated how he was disturbed after seeing a video of his friend and brother, Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu, collapsing while delivering a speech at GIMPA on Thursday, September 24.
Mr Agbana said about a week ago, Sosu had called him to represent the NDC at the GIMPA programme.
“I told him I would not be available because I was leaving town for the UN General Assembly. He quickly responded, ‘It is a very hectic week for me, but let me try and go because these are opportunities to engage young people, and our party and government must not be missing such platforms,'” Agbana recounted.
“I was therefore deeply disturbed when I saw the video of what happened at that very programme he had insisted on attending. The truth is, sometimes we make sacrifices in public service that nobody sees,” he wrote.
65 missed calls in 4 hours
Explaining the daily reality of many public office holders, the Ketu North MP said politicians receive hundreds of calls daily, making it impossible to pick every call.
“People complain that politicians do not pick their calls. What they often do not see is the other side of it: we receive hundreds of calls every single day. There is hardly a minute when my phone is not ringing. On top of the calls, thousands of messages come in daily,” he said.
He disclosed that recently, during a four-hour meeting with his branch executives, he left his phone with one of them to concentrate. When the meeting ended, the executive told him he had counted 65 missed calls in those four hours.
“He actually counted to the hearing of the entire meeting. He was shocked. But for many of us in public service, that is simply our daily reality,” Agbana said.
According to him, behind every missed call is often someone seeking help, intervention, opportunity or simply wanting to be heard.
You are replaceable as a politician, but not as a husband and father
The first-term MP also shared a personal health scare that made him reflect on work-life balance.
“Recently, I almost lost my life because I was moving between meetings and commitments and did not make time to eat the entire day. By midnight, I was in severe pain. My wife sat beside me helplessly, in tears, and said something I will never forget: ‘You are replaceable as a politician, but you are not replaceable as a husband and a father to our children.'”
“That statement touched me deeply. It reminded me that public service demands sacrifice, but we must not become so consumed by the work that we forget the people who love us and depend on us.”
He said leaders are human beings who get tired, overwhelmed, fall sick and have families waiting at home, yet the calls, messages, meetings and demands never stop.
“Sometimes, in our determination to serve everyone, we forget to take care of ourselves,” he noted.
A lesson for all
Mr Agbana appealed to the public to be patient with those in public service, noting that a missed call does not always mean someone does not care.
“Be patient with the people who serve you. A missed call does not always mean someone does not care. Sometimes, it simply means that at that very moment, there were 50, 100 or 200 other calls coming in too.”
He also advised his colleagues in public service to learn to pause.
“Our constituents need us. Our parties need us. Our country needs us. But our families need us too — alive, healthy and present.”
Wishing Sosu a speedy recovery, he wrote:
“Francis, my brother, I was deeply saddened to see what happened. I know your commitment to public service, and I know the kind of person you are. You would probably still show up even when your body is asking you to stop. Please rest and take care of yourself. I wish you a speedy and complete recovery. My prayers are with you, your family and everyone who loves you. We cannot pour from an empty cup. And sometimes, the greatest responsibility a leader can take is to know when to stop, rest and preserve the strength to continue serving.”
Background
On Thursday, September 24, Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu collapsed on stage while addressing students at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). Moments before, he had told the audience: “I respectfully submit that if you want to be a good leader, let service be your hallmark.”
He was quickly assisted off stage and taken for medical attention. His office and Parliament later confirmed in separate statements that he is in stable condition and responding to treatment. Parliament also appealed to the public to desist from circulating the video of the incident.
