No Ambulance For My Constituency, No Car For Me -A Desirable Mp

Ghanaians are yet to witness an MP, who would boycott his or her convenience and comfortable conditions of service for the sake of the constituents. Such a desirable MP is yet to be born. The abundance of V8 vehicles on our roads and scarcity of ambulance in our constituencies has been the most discussed topic among our contemporary issues, but all our 265 MPs could look Ghanaians in the face and go ahead to approve the car loan to buy luxurious cars for themselves. None of them including those who have enjoyed this car loans for over a decade could not use the opportunity to fight for ambulances for their constituencies, it could have been one-constituency-one ambulance. No MP could say, “NO AMBULANCE FOR MY CONSTITUENCY, NO CAR FOR ME”

#One-Ambulance-One-Constituency# campaign must start now. Citizens, let’s not be spectators and watch our neighbor dies due to the lack of an ambulance in our constituency. MPs could lead this campaign, but if they do not, assembly members and unit committee members could lead it. Opinion leaders, traditional leaders, religious leaders could equally do a good job in mobilizing constituents for the #One-Ambulance-One-Constituency# campaign. A monthly silent candle light procession could be held on the streets of every constituency capital to demand for an ambulance and every constituent should join till we have one to transport our accident victims and pregnant women, who need emergency services and transportation to the hospital in the constituency.

MPs’ common fund have been in an existence for years now, but constituents have not felt its impact in no significant way. As a nation that lacks resources to provide all the needs of our citizens at a time, we could agree to do a significant thing at a time. The time has come to dedicate a year’s MP’s common fund for a common ambulance for the constituents. We need our ambulance now, we cannot push it to another time. The constituents might not live to benefit the other infrastructural projects we take years to build if there is no ambulance to transport them to the nearest health facility, when they are involved in an accident or when expectant mothers needs emergency services. An ambulance must be our first priority for MP’s common fund this year. Constituents lives matter.

One-ambulance-one-constituency was not one of the change electioneering campaign in 2016, but there is no better time for government to implement it, and constituents would indeed thank government come 2020 general elections for this gesture. The majority in parliament can use their numbers to push for a very serious discussion and debate in the house for one-ambulance-one-constituency project and demand from the executive to secure a loan for this urgent project. After all, if constituents’ thirst for ambulance is quenched by the government, hearts of voters would be won across the country, and as MPs, both majority and minority, take part in the delivery of the vehicles, their chances of retaining their seats might be boosted further. MPs, as you take delivery of your luxurious private cars, fight for the purchase and delivery of an ambulance for your constituents, too.

Eben Johnson - Finland
(Letters Without Signatures)