Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Gomoa West, Alexander Abban, has raised concerns about the amount of money spent by people seeking political office to influence votes.
He called for legislation to cap spending by people seeking election into various positions, suggesting a 15% cap on their net worth.
There were reports of vote-buying in the recently held Special Delegates’ Conference by the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Speaking with Selorm Adonoo on The Big Issue on Citi TV, Mr Abban believes that if such legislation is passed, it will help to curtail the idea of people voted into political office stealing from the public purse to cover their losses.
He lamented the lack of people with capabilities who are shying away from contesting political positions due to the rise of monocracy in Ghanaian politics.
“As it is now, I can tell you that very fine men and women are shying away from contesting political offices. Because the problem is if you don’t take care of that whole exercise, at the end of the day, if you don’t have deep pockets, and you invest everything in there, you may finally become destitute. And if you go in pushing all your resources and luck smacks on you, and you win, there’s that tendency for you to also go and get it all, so that you don’t become destitute.”
“I think the time has come where we should have legislation that we would enforce strictly. That if you intend to enter politics or any of these elections for political offices, you should not spend more than 15% of your net worth, for that purpose. In that regard, if you don’t lose, all that you have spent is 15% of your net worth, and you are still comfortable enough. If you win too, because you have not spent so much of your money, that incentive for you to go and replace what you have already lost is also minimised,” he opined.
The former MP urged delegates to ensure they spend a little of their own money to be sure that they are voting into office people with the right abilities.
He blasted persons who downplay money given to delegates.
“Would you describe, let’s say GH¢10,000 to a delegate, as transportation? From where to where? If we are building a nation, it’s even incumbent on those people to come and listen to wisdom. Spend a little of their own money to be sure that we are voting into political office people who have the brain power to do that work, and above all, have good hearts to make sure we all grow together.
Because if you have the brain power, you do all the work, but you stash all the money in your house. Like what we are seeing in Gabon, what have you done to your citizens? Nothing, and so we should stop describing these things as transportation, and all that and downplaying the negative effect it has on our body politics,” he advised.
