A high ranking member of Ghana’s parliament has defended the excessive spending by politicians in their quest to win political power, saying he would be prepared to sell his mother for money to campaign.

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Freddie Blay told the media in a news bulletin carried by TV3 Sunday evening June 29, 2008 that he loves politics so much and therefore, would spend as much money as possible to campaign to retain his seat.

He said he gets excited anytime he is on the campaign trail soliciting for votes.

“I love politics, and I will spend money to win power,” he said. “If you are not careful, I will even be prepared to sell my mother for money to retain my seat.” He added.

Mr. Freddie Blay, who is the Convention People’s Party (CPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Elembelle, also serves as the Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

He expressed concern over instances where the Appointments Committee vets the President’s nominees for one Ministry and then after the vetting, the President assigns them to Ministries other than the ones they were vetted for.

Mr. Blay incurred the wrath of the Executives of the CPP for endorsing the candidature of Nana Akufo-Addo, the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at a rally in Aiyinase in the Western region in May this year. He told the crowd at the rally that Nana Addo is the best candidate who must be voted for to lead the country.

He also said about him, "he is a comrade and an ally I will always work with.”

In reaction, the CPP said it will prevent him from standing on the party’s ticket in the forthcoming elections in December, describing his action as a mark of “indiscipline”. They argued that as a leading member of the CPP, he should be campaigning for the party's candidate, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom.

And now he says, he is prepared to sell his mother for money to spend in defending the seat.


By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi