Former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has cautioned young people against entering politics with the primary aim of making money, describing such motivations as misguided and contrary to the principles of public service.
He stressed that politics should be driven by a commitment to good governance, integrity, and service to the public rather than personal financial gain.
Professor Oquaye, appearing to reference the dismissal of former Deputy Communications Minister Victoria Hammah over claims that she intended to amass $1 million while in office, commended the decision to remove her from government, saying the remarks reflected a troubling mindset that undermines public confidence in leadership.
Speaking at the inception workshop of the European Union-funded WYDE Project in Ghana on Tuesday, February 10, the former Speaker urged young people with political ambitions to prioritise the qualitative improvement of leadership and governance over material rewards.
“There was a young lady who was, some time ago, in this country, appointed a deputy minister by the president. In a few months, she was heard saying that she was getting ready to make a few millions of dollars. The president removed her, and appropriately so, because the purposive inclination was inherently wrong and unfortunate.
“What is your purpose for entering politics? If it is to make money, you will be in the wrong business, and your peers must all agree that this person is not fit to be a political leader of our people.
“In other words, the basic issues in politics must be those that you all basically agree upon and be in qualitative governance. Governance is not just about being a member of parliament.
“Governance is being an effective, knowledgeable, participatory member of parliament, because that is where you can really contribute to debates, and for issues and for policies and development of our people,” Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye remarked.
