First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Member of Parliament (MP) for Bekwai, Joseph Osei-Owusu (Joe Wise), has announced his intention to retire from public service once his tenure in the 8th Parliament ends.
Citing health concerns exacerbated by the pressures of public service and politics, Joseph Osei-Owusu stated that he would no longer continue in public service.
He expressed distress over public perceptions labeling politicians and public servants as thieves, despite his personal commitment to integrity and refusal to solicit support from others.
Furthermore, Osei-Owusu refuted the notion that legislators could be deemed thieves, highlighting their limited involvement in handling public funds. He clarified that MPs do not directly manage public finances, with their responsibilities primarily focused on approving budgets rather than allocating or disbursing funds.
“It hurts to hear people call you a thief only because you opted to work for the public. Listen to all public discussions.
“Every politician, every elected official is called a thief. Nothing hurts me more than that; when I can say with pride that I have never asked for support from anybody,” he is quoted to have said.
He added, “I have never asked for anybody to give me anything before. I do my work so those are the things that I think have contributed to my health issues. Now I have health issues so I want to leave the field quietly and endure my pain”.