NPP, NDC: why are you hiding in the shadow of politics?

VP of Ghana, Dr. Bawumia, NPP, advocates for Digital Ghana, and so does the NDC. Both parties hold high in the shining lights of TV cameras and the marketplace places words of democracy like transparency and accountability of the political spectrum. Anti-corruption slogans are blasted constantly into the ears of the electorate from both parties.

Critical observers from within Ghana and outside the nation ask themselves the question: where does the money come from MPs or the aspirants for Parliament use when donating bikes, motorcycles, oil, sugar, and cars to the locals and elites in the villages. This is regularly done before the election or in times between to hit the news when others are on vacation.

Personal funds, collected donor contributions, taking part of the monthly allowances each MP is entitled to and sharing it with the constituency, funding by their parties, etc. do not explain the vast amount of money spent for the good work.

In such cases in Europe citizens check the website of their Parliament to see what income and assets alongside activities and former work each MP has and has done. This helps citizens to ensure corruption is kept in place and low. MPs must declare extra income from lobbying for companies, have income from consulting services, and private company ownership among others.

Someone wanting to do the same will find the website of the Parliament of Ghana has no such information. The history of the parliament, the various committees even the state budget presented to Parliament can be seen on this website. Besides the photos of the MPs, no information is provided as to his income and activities like standards in the EU.

As this is a simple but vital exercise of Democracy that Ghana claims to be part of critical observers take thinking a bit further. Why is it that both parties, NPP and NDC, during their time in Parliament since 1992, for good thirty years, have not made the personal income of the MPs public and transparent like a common standard in many countries around the world? The critical thinker tends to believe such information would be in the interest of the public but against the lifestyle of both parties, shouting faul when the opposition is in power and vice-versa.

When logos and faces are different but development is nowhere to be seen except in the numbers of citizens ready to leave for greener pastures even the die-hard party loyal has to confess to himself before falling asleep that both parties hide in the shadow of politics...good night Ghana!