Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema East, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, has emphasised the significant role of money in today’s politics.
In an interview on Adom TV’s Badwam Show, he highlighted the expectation of financial support from constituents, without much consideration for its source.
Mr Titus-Glover said “money and politics are like twins today. Monetisation in politics is becoming the order of the day. Apart from general elections, even during primaries, delegates are demanding so as a politician, you must be prepared. The perception is that if the politician gets to the top, he abandons the lot and focuses on his own, but that’s not true.”
Mr Titus-Glover further acknowledged the burden faced by MPs who often exhaust their savings to assist constituents.
He explained that as long as sitting MPs fulfill their responsibilities, party loyalists and delegates should not make financial demands before casting their votes.
He expressed concern about the cycle of MPs resorting to loans for elections and even using their ex-gratia as collateral if they lose.
He questioned the practice of receiving payment for supporting a political party, stating, “why must you be paid to vote for your so-called beloved political party? It’s not right. Even if I’m plucking the money from a tree, won’t it finish? So sometimes constituents push politicians to indulge in certain illegal activities.”
Mr Titus-Glover emphasised the necessity of long-term solutions to address the troubling situation, suggesting that measures should be implemented to curb the prevalence of money in politics.
He made his remarks against the backdrop of allegations of vote-buying during the Kumawu bye-election and videos circulating during the National Democratic Congress primaries, where aspirants were seen distributing bags of rice, cylinders, and money to delegates.
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