Deputy Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kamal-Deen Abdulai, has dismissed the perception held by some members of the public that all politicians are wealthy and are therefore obligated to share money wherever they go.
According to him, this misconception has led to many politicians being harassed and embarrassed, especially during social events, where people demand money from them.
He made these comments during a panel discussion on Metro TV on Wednesday, while addressing public backlash over a recent incident involving the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, who was seen handing over some dollars to a controversial former fetish priestess turned pastor—a gesture that has sparked public outrage.
Kamal-Deen urged the public to desist from constantly demanding money from politicians, noting that such expectations not only cause embarrassment but also create pressure that could drive some individuals into corruption just to meet those demands.
“To the general public—why do we think that every politician we see has money? It’s a serious question. Sometimes, you can’t even attend events. A friend might have an outdooring, and I can’t go because the perception is that once you’ve been seen on TV, you must have a lot of money and are expected to dole it out. This is a serious issue. It doesn’t affect only the NPP or the NDC—ask any parliamentarian, they go through it. All of us who serve as communicators on TV suffer the same thing.
“Sometimes, the way the public demands money makes it seem like you owe them and must pay up. It’s done in such a way that it’s embarrassing, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Yet, we claim we want to fight corruption. What a hypocritical stance! You’re telling someone not to steal public funds, yet you’re the same person demanding that they hand out money at every opportunity.
“I have a problem with this, and it’s a common challenge in the public space. One day, I parked my vehicle and was buying waakye on the Spintex Road when someone walked up to me and said, ‘You are Kamal-Deen, and you come here to buy waakye?’ So now, Kamal-Deen can no longer buy waakye on the roadside?”
Source: Ghanaweb
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