The Member of Parliament for Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has stated that Members of Parliament in Ghana are often unfairly criticised by the public despite the heavy personal financial burden they carry in serving their constituents.
According to him, the public perception that MPs benefit excessively from the state does not reflect the realities of their work.
Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews on Saturday, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said many MPs spend far more from their personal resources supporting constituents than they earn in salary.
“For many years, MPs have been unfairly criticised simply because they are given the same tools that other public service holders get to do their work,” he said.
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Mr Kwakye Ofosu explained that his perspective about MPs changed significantly after he entered Parliament.
“Since becoming one, I have noticed that MPs are perhaps the most unfairly treated in the whole governance architecture,” he stated.
He said MPs, unlike many other public officials, deal directly with the everyday needs of citizens who often see them as the closest representatives of government.
“When you are elected as an MP, everything you do is in the interest of the people of Ghana or your constituents,” he added.
The Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese MP revealed that large numbers of constituents frequently visit him when he is in the constituency seeking assistance with personal challenges.
“On any given morning, if I happen to be in the constituency, there will be between 200 to 300 people in my house,” he said.
He described operating what he called a “clinic” where residents present requests ranging from medical bills and school fees to other pressing needs.
According to him, the demands arise largely because many citizens feel government institutions cannot reach them quickly enough.
“Because government is limited in terms of its reach to the people, that void… has to be filled by the MP,” he explained.
He added that during one visit to his constituency, 336 people came to him in a single morning with various requests.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu shared a personal experience to illustrate the financial pressure MPs face while assisting constituents.
According to him, he was in the constituency one day, and everything he had was taken away from him adding, “I had to call my wife to send me GH¢500 to buy fuel to come to Accra,” he revealed.
He said such experiences demonstrate how MPs often exhaust their personal funds while trying to support people in their constituencies.
The Government Communications Minister also addressed what he described as misconceptions about the benefits MPs receive.
He clarified that vehicles provided to MPs are not gifts but loans deducted from their salaries throughout their four-year term.
“You are given a car loan, and it is a loan, not a gift. Even before you see the car, they start deducting the money,” he said.
He further explained that MPs do not directly receive the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) allocations associated with their constituencies.
“The money never comes to me. The most I do is issue a letter authorising the DCE to spend it on projects for the people,” he stated.
Reflecting on the demands of the role, Mr Kwakye Ofosu described serving as an MP as extremely demanding and often unrewarding.
“It is a thankless job. It will drain you. You will not come out better than you went in,” he said.
He disclosed that he recently discouraged a political aspirant from contesting a parliamentary seat because of the sacrifices involved.
Despite the challenges, he stressed that MPs remain committed to performing their oversight duties and representing the interests of their constituents.
“There is nothing that the MP in Ghana gets that comes anywhere close to what they spend personally doing their work on behalf of the people,” he emphasised.