The Independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, known widely as A-Plus, has opened up about the challenges faced by MPs in Ghana, particularly the disparity between their salaries and the work they do.
In a candid interview on Adom FM, A-Plus shared that his decision to enter politics was driven by a desire to solve people’s problems, 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.
However, A-Plus didn’t mince words when discussing the financial side of being a parliamentarian. He criticized the salary MPs receive, describing it as insufficient for the amount of work required.
“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.
In a bold move, he revealed plans to make his bank statement public to show the stark contrast between his earnings before becoming an MP and his current salary.
Reflecting on his income before entering parliament, A-Plus shared, “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 went on to explain that even his savings account showed that his daily earnings far exceeded what MPs make in a month. “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,” A-Plus emphasized.
A-Plus concluded by noting that the perception of MPs’ earnings from the outside often doesn’t align with the reality of the work they do once they step into office.
“So, the MPs are doing very well. When we were outside, we saw it differently,” he said, acknowledging the complexity and difficulties that come with the role.
