Monetisation of elections: Very soon drug barons will take over parliament as MPs – Former NPP MP

Mr. Alexander Abban

Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Gomoa West, Mr. Alexander Abban has warned that if care is not taken, drug barons will soon become parliamentarians in disguised.

The former New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP made this comment at a programme organised by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Governance (CDD-Ghana) on the topic, “Expectations vs Reality – Navigating the Unique Composition of the 8th Parliament.”

Sharing his thoughts on the topic, Alexander Abban said although the citizenry managed to make a change through the results of parliamentary elections at the end of the 2020 polls, that did not lead to a change in the mindset of politicians.

He said although for the first time a Speaker of Parliament from the Minority side was approved, that did not also lead to a significant change in the house.

“We succeeded in making a change in terms of numbers but we did not succeed in changing the mindset of our politicians. Once that was the case, there was no way things were going to be different in the 8th parliament.

“The discussions should not be on the numbers but the motives of the politicians and the mindset of citizens as well,” Alexander Abban said.

According to the former Gomoa West MP, things are further deteriorating especially now that monetisation of elections has become a major problem.

Sharing his ordeal, he said he was rejected by his constituents in the last general elections simply because he was not attending funerals.

“These days delegates are not doing well to help political parties or the country. You have delegates who will rather vote for people with no ideas but ready to pay money than people who actually have ideas and can help,” Alexander Abban shared.

He said for Ghanaians to get better from Parliament, there is the need to ensure the people voted into power have what it takes to get the job done.

“I was booted out because I was not attending funerals. We need to do education and let the people understand the work of a parliamentarian. The education must go down well. If not we will always get people who are not qualified to go to parliament and offer nothing.

“In the next few years, we will see drug barons taking over Parliament,” Alexander Abban added.

On her part, an International Trade Consultant and Global Politics Enthusiast, Maame Awinador-Kanyirige who joined the panel discussion also called for change. She said while the hung parliament has not made a significant change as expected, she is not surprised.

She said it is high time the country relooks at its democracy and engage the youth to inspire development.

“People are in parliament that they don’t even understand parliamentary democracy. We have to relook at our democracy and unpack it. We need technocrats. In ten years we will sit in a room like clowns to complain about the same things if we do not change.

“We need to move beyond dialogue. CSOs must continue advocating, religious bodies must help. Let’s engage the young and take action to change the things holding us back,” Maame Awinador-Kanyirige remarked.

The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) round-table discussion held on Thursday, June 2, 2022, sought to initiate a conversation that will begin to address the concerns citizens may have about preserving the country’s democracy and its associated implications on development in the face of the exception composition and permutation of parliament both at present and in the future.

It is in response to the challenges arising from the unique composition of the almost ‘evenly-split’ 8^th parliament of the Fourth Republic, which often leads to a stalemate, thus affecting the smooth running of the business in the house and the performance of its functions.

Besides Alexander Abban and Maame Awinador-Kanyirige, former NDC MP Alhaji Inusah Fuseini and Executive Director at CDD-Ghana Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh shared their thoughts on the topic during the panel discussion.