Doe Adjaho Bemoans �Monetisation� Of Politics

The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, has bemoaned the ‘monetisation’ of politics in the country. He said it was responsible for the growing levels of corruption.

He said because of the heavy financial demands made on politicians, they were compelled to look for pecuniary resources to meet the expectations, a situation which encourages the use of positions of trust for dishonest gain.

Mr Adjaho was speaking at the commissioning of the newly-elected executive members of the Parliamentary Press Corps in Parliament last Wednesday.

He said ‘monetisation’ was a serious problem facing the nation, which needed to be dealt with.

He cited the campaign of members of Parliament and said during the race  for elective office, constituents demanded money.

"You have to find the money to pay otherwise they will not vote for you.

“If you go to your constituency and you do not meet the expectations of your people, they will tell you that you are going to be a one-term MP," he said. The situation, he said, had become bad and needed to be addressed.

Frontiers of democracy
Turning the spotlight on the Parliamentary Press Corps, Mr Adjaho asked them to hold elected officers to account but they should  do so in a responsible way. He advised them to not be compromised on the truth and cross-check all information before publication.

He said both Members of Parliament (MPs) and the media had the responsibility of expanding the frontiers of democracy and also to preserve the dignity of Parliament.

He advised the two institutions to collaborate in that endeavour.