Member of Parliament for Abura Asebu-Kwamankese, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has expressed concern over the growing culture of monetisation in Ghanaian politics.

He has described it as a threat to the country’s democracy.

Speaking on the Floor of Parliament, he called for urgent reforms to address this issue to ensure that political participation is not determined by financial influence.

“The monetisation of the process has become extremely detrimental to the well-being of this House. What has happened, Mr. Speaker is that quality is increasingly taking a back seat, and moneybags are holding sway.

“The only way around it is for the parties to realise that it is in their interest that their best and brightest come to Parliament. Because it is the quality inherent in those who come to this House that shapes the way in which governance is undertaken", he explained.

Reflecting on past practices, he, added that there was a time when parties had to actively scrutinise candidates for certain constituencies.

“Now every Tom, Dick, and Harry shows up, and to the extent that they have deep pockets, they are able to ascend to the candidacy of parties in various constituencies. This is not sustainable", he explained.

Kwakye Ofosu pointed out that the high cost of winning party primaries often leaves candidates financially drained.

“The amounts of money that one needs to spend in order to win party primaries often even affect one's ability to prosecute a meaningful campaign in the general elections. Because by the time you are done, you will either be deep in debt or you’ll be totally bankrupt. So, reforms are an absolute necessity for the political parties in terms of how primaries are structured and in terms of how candidates emerge", he noted.