MPs fueling ‘moneycracy’ in Ghanaian politics – Ben Ephson

Pollster and Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch Newspaper, Ben Ephson is blaming Members of Parliament (MP) for the monetization of politics in Ghana.

He disclosed on Kumasi-based Hello FM that they are the ones who introduced money into the body politics of the country which has finally gained notoriety and is being accepted by party delegates who cash on during internal elections.

“It is the Members of Parliament who fuel money in politics. They make the delegates think they are mechanized and therefore being bought by the prospective candidates. After winning the mandate of the delegates, they won’t mind them again until such that time their votes are needed again. When they are driving past them they won’t even bother to stop and interact. But a year to the polls, you will see them trying to associate. Sometimes all the voters want from you is respect and not money,” he argued.

According to him, prospective opponents take the opportunity of the gap between the MP and the delegates and market themselves by sponsoring some of them at the local level to win.

“By the time you realize, your supporters and the delegates you know you have lost them. The issue of money and others is caused by the MPs. Some of them do not have money because he has not been appointed and therefore is not lucky enough to source proper funding but if such a person keeps a good relationship he or she will win. So the issue of money is triggered by both the prospective MPs and the MPs themselves,” he stressed.