Ghana’s Parliament Viewed as Investment Opportunity, Says Asiedu Nketia

Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has echoed growing concerns over the diminishing quality of representation within Ghana’s Parliament. In an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show, he acknowledged the perceptible change in how people approach parliamentary roles, shifting from a traditional service-oriented outlook to one considering it as an investment opportunity.

Highlighting the shift, Asiedu Nketia noted a transformation from the historical view of Parliament as a platform for serving citizens to the modern perspective where individuals perceive it as an avenue for investment. He underlined a pivotal factor contributing to this decline, emphasizing the detrimental impact of increased monetization in politics.

According to him, the past motivation to enter Parliament was fueled by genuine passion for national service. However, the current landscape portrays a different motivation, with aspirants seeing parliamentary positions as strategic investment opportunities.

“The over-monetization of politics has been a key cause. Previously, people entered Parliament driven by a passion to serve the nation. Now, some view it as an investment opportunity… a service passport to conduct their business,” remarked Asiedu Nketia.

He urged concerted efforts to reverse this trend, emphasizing the imperative of returning to the core values of authentic public service that once defined Ghana’s Parliament. Nonetheless, he acknowledged the challenge of political parties implementing criteria prioritizing educational qualifications for aspirants seeking parliamentary seats.