In a somewhat unconventional turn of events, some constituents of the Bolgatanga East constituency in the Upper East Region are making personal requests to their Member of Parliament, Dr. Dominic Akuretinga Ayine, seeking financial assistance to purchase cattle for dowries.
While traditionally, constituents often approach their elected representatives with requests for community development projects and social services, a segment of Bolgatanga East constituents have taken a different approach, prioritizing personal needs over the needs of the general populace.
Dr. Ayine acknowledged that while some constituents appreciate the social services and development projects he has spearheaded in the constituency, others have presented him with more individualized requests. Among these requests are demands for financial assistance to purchase cattle for dowries. The lawmaker quickly added that these requests are however outliers.
“My constituents are happy that I am providing certain social services, but some come to me with very personal problems. Some of them want money to buy cattle to pay the dowry for their wives. I have had 5 such requests since 2013,” he stated.
The MP, who was speaking on A1 radio based in Bolgatanga, said in some cases, he is compelled to buy cattle for the constituents to pay the dowry for their wives, “because if you don’t, he is going to tell a different story in his community that the MP is not helpful.”
Among the requests from constituents include medical bills and school fees. Mr. Ayine said MPs are inundated with various expectations placed upon them, a challenge he said many face in balancing the demands of their constituents.
The Bolgatanga East constituency was carved out of the Bolga constituency in 2012, with Dr. Ayine of the National Democratic Congress being the first and incumbent MP to have ever occupied the seat. The people of the area are Frafras, with Gurune being their mother tongue. The dowry of the Frafras is typically paid by the groom’s family to the bride’s family as a gesture of appreciation and respect, symbolizing the union of two families and the commitment to building a life together.
According to tradition, the dowry consists of either three cows or a combination of two cows and seven sheep, with each cow valued at approximately 3,000 cedis in the current market.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga|Ghana
