The Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana, shared a rare glimpse into the intense pressure politicians face, explaining why they sometimes miss phone calls. His comments came after Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu collapsed while speaking at GIMPA on September 24.
Agbana recounted how Sosu had invited him to represent the National Democratic Congress at the GIMPA programme. Agbana declined because he was travelling to the United Nations General Assembly. Sosu replied, "It is a very hectic week for me, but let me try and go because these are opportunities to engage young people, and our party and government must not be missing such platforms."
When Agbana saw the video of Sosu collapsing at that event, he was deeply disturbed. "Sometimes we make sacrifices in public service that nobody sees," he wrote in a Facebook post titled "Midnight musings!!!"
Agbana described a daily reality where politicians receive hundreds of calls and thousands of messages every day. "There is hardly a minute when my phone is not ringing," he said. He shared how during a recent four-hour meeting with his branch executives, he left his phone with one of them to focus. After the meeting, the executive told him he had counted 65 missed calls during that time.
"People complain that politicians do not pick their calls. What they often do not see is the other side of it," Agbana said. Behind each missed call, he said, there is usually someone seeking help, intervention, opportunity, or simply a chance to be heard.
Agbana also opened up about a personal health scare that forced him to rethink his work-life balance. He recounted a day when he did not eat while moving between meetings and commitments. By midnight, he was in severe pain. His wife told him, "You are replaceable as a politician, but you are not replaceable as a husband and a father to our children."
That moment stayed with him. "Public service demands sacrifice, but we must not become so consumed by the work that we forget the people who love us and depend on us," he wrote. Agbana reminded his colleagues that leaders get tired, fall sick, and have families waiting at home, even while calls, messages, and demands never stop.
He appealed to the public for patience with those in public office. "A missed call does not always mean someone does not care. Sometimes, it simply means that at that very moment, there were 50, 100 or 200 other calls coming in too."
Agbana urged public servants to learn when to pause. "Our constituents need us. Our parties need us. Our country needs us. But our families need us too—alive, healthy and present."
He wished Sosu a speedy recovery. "Francis, my brother, I was deeply saddened to see what happened. I know your commitment to public service, and I know the kind of person you are. You would probably still show up even when your body is asking you to stop. Please rest and take care of yourself."
Sosu collapsed on stage at GIMPA while addressing students. Moments before, he had told the audience, "I respectfully submit that if you want to be a good leader, let service be your hallmark." He was quickly taken for medical attention. Parliament confirmed he is stable and responding to treatment and asked the public to stop sharing the video of the incident.
Agbana concluded, "We cannot pour from an empty cup. Sometimes, the greatest responsibility a leader can take is to know when to stop, rest and preserve the strength to continue serving."
According to 3News.
