Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has cautioned lawmakers against politicising Ghana’s economic and healthcare challenges, warning that economic decline carries grave and often irreversible human consequences.
His remarks came on the floor of Parliament in response to a statement by the Member of Parliament for Offinso North, Fred Kyei Asamoah, who addressed the reported death of Charles Amissah — a hit-and-run victim said to have died after being denied treatment at three major hospitals.
In his submission, Asamoah maintained that no circumstance should justify the loss of life. He referenced a past comment by former President Nana Akufo-Addo, saying, “We know how to bring back the economy, but we don’t know how to bring back lives.”
But Speaker Bagbin urged caution, warning against partisan comparisons and attempts to revisit previous administrations in the debate. He stressed that no government in Ghana’s history has presided over a perfect emergency response system, including the administration being cited.
“Don’t go into those issues because there is no government that has come to govern this country and all ambulances are working and running at all times,” Bagbin said, adding, “Even during the reign of the person you quoted, it’s the same thing. And that quotation was wrong.”
The Speaker went further, underscoring what he described as the often-overlooked connection between economic stability and public welfare.
“Please, when you lose an economy, you lose lives. You don’t know that? So when you say you are bringing back the economy, you know how to bring back economy, but you don’t know how to bring back lives,” he stated.
He warned that the human toll of economic downturns can be permanent. “The time you’ve lost the economy, you’ve lost so many lives that you can’t bring back.”
Bagbin concluded with an appeal for focus and responsibility, urging Members of Parliament to concentrate on resolving the nation’s pressing challenges rather than engaging in political point-scoring.
“Please, let’s address the issue, what is confronting us now, and stop the politics,” he said.
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