Independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as Kwame A-Plus, has spoken candidly about the challenges faced by MPs in Ghana, particularly the gap between their salaries and the demands of their work.
In an interview on Adom FM, A-Plus revealed that his motivation for entering politics stemmed from a desire to help people, which led to the creation of the People’s Project. “I, for instance, think about solving people’s problems for them. That is why I started the People’s Project. It was just to help people, so I do not see it as an issue. I just want to solve your problems whenever you tell me, as long as I know it will help the person,” he explained.
He described the salary MPs receive as inadequate, considering the workload they handle. “The Parliament job is very difficult. The salary is also not good. It is too small. You will only get GH₵15,000 at the end of the day. It is not good,” he said.
To underscore his point, A-Plus announced plans to make his bank statement public, highlighting the stark contrast between his previous earnings and his current salary as an MP. Reflecting on his financial status before joining Parliament, he stated, “If I look at my turnover from 2020, it means that I was making a lot of money that year. The amount of money I was making in 24 hours was more than what I am paid in Parliament in a month.”
He further emphasized the difference by pointing out that even his savings account reflected a significant disparity. “The money that I was earning in a day was more than what I get from Parliament in 30 days, and you have to do all of the work,” he stressed.
A-Plus concluded by acknowledging the misconceptions people have about MPs’ earnings, noting that the reality of the job is far different from what it appears to be from the outside. “So, the MPs are doing very well. When we were outside, we saw it differently,” he emphasised.
