Beyond roads and bridges: Understanding the true role of your MP

In the vibrant, often boisterous landscape of Ghanaian politics, a peculiar scene plays out every four years. A parliamentary candidate stands on a makeshift podium in a rural constituency, promising to build bridges, pave roads, and fix the local market’s drainage system. The crowd cheers, not because they are hearing a policy proposal, but because they are hearing a "development officer" pitch for a job.

By Andrea Baaba Appiah