Zebila Member of Parliament (MP), Cletus Avoka has opined that it is a necessary evil for lawmakers to be corrupt.
According to the former Majority Leader, it will be difficult for an MP to maintain his or her seat of not corrupt due to the numerous demands from constituents.
In an interview, the long serving MP lamented have lost their seats because they could not live up to the demands of his people.
“The press should have been fighting for the MPs, should have been defending the MPs. Everyday MoMo, somebody is sick in the hospital, somebody wants to have a wedding, they are going to do outdooring, they are asking for school fees and what not.
“Many of us lose election not because we are not doing a good work, but because we are not giving money out,” he said in an interview with Accra-based GHOne TV.
Mr Avoka noted because most MPs do not have an extra stream of income, they resort to corrupt activities to satisfy the needs of constituents.
“How do we give money out when you come and stay there for five hours or eight hours debating and close in the evening to go and sleep, the following day you have no money to send.
"If I'm Not Corrupt How Can I Maintain My Seat?" – Cletus Avoka#GHOneNews #GHOneTV pic.twitter.com/RUqoZs2L6f
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) February 26, 2024
“You have to go out there and look for the money. Do some work for a contractor and as a lawyer, maybe prepare a bill. That’s where the corruption starts. If I am not corrupt how do I maintain my seat? You have to be corrupt one way or the other, you have to look for more resources because I need more resources to maintain my seat,” he added.
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