Evans otto Larbie,
Evans otto Larbie,
Tax Consultant & Accountant
It is time for us as citizens to have an honest conversation about what we expect from our Members of Parliament (MPs).
Is it really the responsibility of an MP to provide chop boxes, trunks and mattresses to every new SHS student before parents recognise that the MP is performing well?
With the introduction of Free SHS, parents are relieved of the burden of paying school fees. While some parents may still need support with other educational expenses, should providing basic items such as trunks, chop boxes and mattresses automatically become the responsibility of MPs?
Unfortunately, in some constituencies, this appears to be becoming a competition. An MP who provides more items is sometimes considered a better MP, while one who does not may be accused of doing nothing for the constituency.
But is this the right standard by which we should measure parliamentary performance?
Our expectations of MPs have gone far beyond legislation and representation. MPs are expected to attend funerals and weddings, make donations, pay hospital bills, provide scholarships, distribute money, support individuals and families, and now provide various items for students.
The question is: where are MPs expected to get the money to meet all these demands?
Their official salaries and resources are certainly not unlimited. When society places excessive financial pressure on elected representatives, we may unintentionally create an environment that encourages questionable practices, including corruption and the misuse of public resources.
An MP is primarily a lawmaker, representative of the people and an overseer of government, not a personal financier for an entire constituency.
Even the District Assemblies Common Fund should not be treated as an MP’s personal bank account. It is intended to support development and address important needs within communities. If significant resources are continuously directed toward individual assistance and political expectations, what happens to the roads, schools, healthcare facilities, drainage systems, water projects and other infrastructure that our constituencies desperately need?
We must therefore ask ourselves whether we are doing our MPs a favour or inadvertently putting them under unbearable pressure.
Parents should also take responsibility for what they can reasonably afford for their children, particularly when they are no longer paying SHS tuition under Free SHS. Supporting an MP should not be based solely on how much money or material items the MP distributes.
We must change the culture of measuring parliamentary performance by handouts.
Instead of asking, “What has my MP given me?”, perhaps we should be asking:
“What laws has my MP helped to make?”
“How effectively is my MP representing our interests in Parliament?”
“What development projects has the MP helped facilitate?”
“How is the MP advocating for better roads, schools, healthcare, jobs and economic opportunities for the constituency?”
Our MPs are human beings, not unlimited sources of financial assistance. They cannot continue financing funerals, weddings, hospital bills, scholarships, SHS items and countless individual requests while simultaneously being expected to deliver sustainable development.
Parliamentary leadership must take this issue seriously. There is a need for a broader national conversation about the expectations placed on MPs and how constituency resources are utilised.
Our MPs should not be forced to choose between pleasing constituents today and developing the constituency for tomorrow.
If everything is spent on meeting immediate individual demands, when will we build the infrastructure our communities need?
Let us protect our democratic institutions by demanding accountability, strengthening parliamentary oversight and focusing on sustainable constituency development.
An MP should not be judged by the size of the handout, but by the quality of representation and the lasting development they help bring to the people.
Evans otto Larbie,
Tax Consultant & Accountant
