Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Member of Parliament for the Effutu constituency, in the Central Region, and the majority leader of Ghana’s Parliament, has stated that if you’re impoverished or poor and a politician, you should just resign because it’s for public service.
On Friday, November 8, the MP, who also serves on several committees, including the Committee on Defence and Interior stated on Peace FM’s ‘Kokorokoo’ morning show that, having the ability to do politics and being resourceful are prerequisites for becoming a politician.
“Public service is the purpose of politics. You should be able to meet the needs of society’s vulnerable and defenseless people. You are needed by them. So, just give up if your finances are bad. In fact, there are two ways of doing this”, Afenyo-Markin stated.
“You can either raise resources or get your own resources.”
He mentioned Donald Trump’s victory as a paradigm — claiming that a number of his Efutu people who reside in the United States informed him that, Trump’s team were heavily canvassing for votes in their State and, surprisingly, they visited them, and they were financially rewarded.
“This is not vote buying. Since some of these Black people are homeless in the U.S, it’s merely a support to keep them going. In fact, this is not vote-inducing. It is part of the political imperatives”, he said.
As a politician, you should be ready to care for the sick, the poor, and other members of society, the MP said. You should be able to gather resources to assist people in society, not just those in your constituency, he added.
“When a church extends an invitation for you to attend, you should be able to contribute when asked to help the church or school building. You have no justification. Get someone to assist you if you are unable to support them”, he added.
He claimed to have encountered people whose wards had been accepted into the Free SHS program, but were having a lot of struggles paying for school supplies like a trunk, bag, and chopbox.
“Won’t the same people who accuse me of vote buying conclude that the free SHS never happened if I don’t support such people?”
He further questioned Kwami Sefa Kayi, the show’s host, “So, if you’re a politician without resources, how do you deal with this?”
Speaking further on the subject, Afenyo Markin, a lawyer by profession, stated that he has been a kindhearted supporter of his people over the years because they truly deserve it. He claimed that at the age of 22, he began engaging in these charitable endeavors.
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The Majority Leader, 46, was replying to a text message sent into the program accusing the MP of buying votes in his district.
Meanwhile, one of the largest children’s hospitals in Winneba, one of its kind in the Central and Western regions, is being constructed by Hon. Afenyo-Markin.
Additionally, he constructed new circuit, district, and high courts for the region. According to him, Winneba has the most libraries—more than 15 in Efutu alone—making it the highest in Ghana, thanks to the MP.
There are several other investment projects the MP has done for the people in his constituents.
