The Member of Parliament (MP) for Akyem Oda Constituency in the Eastern Region, has advised the youth who are interested in taking political office in the future to establish themselves in their own businesses before pursuing any political office in the future.
“The notion that politics can make you rich overnight is false but with a vibrant civil society and several corruption control mechanisms in the country, you will be disappointed if you get attracted to the use of political power to enrich yourselves,” he warned.
Mr Acquah, who is the Vice Chairman of the Trade, Industry and Tourism Committee in Parliament, explained that entrepreneurship was taking advantage of government initiatives to establish businesses to ease the country’s wage bill.
Contributing to the 4th edition of a national dialogue series which was on the theme: ‘Youth Entrepreneurship -The Catalyst to Ghana’s Development and Financial Independence’, he indicated that it was not for nothing that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was often touted as champion of property owning democracy since the party believed in creating the enabling environment for private businesses to start and thrive.
Mr Acquah, an entrepreneur, challenged the youth to take advantage of the enabling environment to empower themselves with entrepreneurship skills and knowledge through the government’s initiatives to establish businesses that would thrive to boost the economy.
“All the thematic policies, programmes and social interventions of the current government are geared towards private sector progress, growth and development, I commend the government for the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme, a policy which has resulted in the progress, growth and development of private medical care.
“Young entrepreneurs who find themselves in politics are able to serve their constituents well with the state resources put at their disposal but without such resources and you think you can get rich overnight by using political power you will be disappointed if you do not acquire the requisite skills and knowledge to be assertive and thrive in entrepreneurship and contribute meaningful to nation-building,” Mr Acquah cautioned.
