The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has indicated that Ghanaians are yet to appreciate the work of the Legislature in a democratic polity.
The Speaker says the role parliamentarians play in meeting the financial demands of their constituents prone them to corruption, a situation Ghanaians are yet to appreciate.
Speaking at a Breakfast forum Monday, November 20, 2023, the Rt. Hon Speaker said it is unrealistic for Members of Parliament to shoulder these demands and be expected to stay away from corruption.
He explained that the situation is a setback on the praise accorded the nation as a beacon of democracy on the continent.
“To Ghanaians, an MP is an individual and he is to look for his own means of transport and he is to look out for everybody in the constituency and when they mean reach out, they don’t mean just talk. He is to organise and fund all the activities but he is not expected to be corrupt.
“He is to pay all the school fees of students, pay all the hospital bills, do all the outdoorings, attend all the weddings and the church services and make sure that the contributions you give is higher than every other person.
“He is the one that should be lowly paid, lower than the appointed members of His Excellency the President not the elected mandated legitimate representatives of the people.
“And here we are having been dubbed as a model democracy in Africa. Clearly it means that our people are yet to appreciate and prioritise the work we do,” the Rt. Hon. Speaker lamented.
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