Sam George recounts how he defied advice to challenge E.T. Mensah

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has revealed how he ignored widespread advice against challenging his political mentor, the late E.T. Mensah, in the 2016 parliamentary elections.

He said many people considered his decision to contest against the former Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram a risky move, but he remained focused on his ambition and what he hoped to achieve.

Speaking about his political journey in a panel discussion on Friday November 6, 2026, Sam George said he was convinced that he had prepared himself for the opportunity, despite the discouragement from people around him.

“Everybody said I shouldn't go. Everybody said I was crazy. But I knew what I wanted and what I wanted to achieve,” he recounted.

According to him, his interest in representing the Ningo-Prampram constituency started as far back as 2003, when he was a student at the university.

He said he had told his roommate at the time, Kodriga Kadako, that he intended to become the Member of Parliament for the area in 2016.

Sam George explained that his initial plan was not to challenge E.T. Mensah but to learn from him and eventually succeed him with his blessing.

In pursuit of that ambition, he approached the late politician in 2011 and offered to work with him to understand his political journey and leadership experience.

“I told him I wanted to learn. He said he didn't need anybody, but I told him not to worry because I wasn't asking him to pay me,” he said.

The Minister disclosed that he subsequently worked as an assistant to E.T. Mensah for almost four years without receiving a salary.

He said his responsibilities went beyond office work, as he reported to the politician's home every morning and often stayed until late in the evening.

“I showed up every morning and was literally the last person to leave his house. I did everything that was there to do, from driving to washing and cleaning,” he recounted.

Sam George said the experience was difficult but provided him with important lessons about leadership, politics and life.

He described E.T. Mensah as a valuable teacher whose more than four decades in Ghanaian politics gave him the experience he needed to learn from.

“E.T. Mensah taught me some of the biggest life lessons that have shaped who I am today. This was a man who had spent over four decades at the top of Ghana's politics. I didn't need a better teacher than him,” he said.

He added that the learning process was not easy because the late politician was not always willing to teach him and sometimes placed obstacles in his way.

According to him, the real test of his determination was not the eventual election contest but the difficult years he spent working without pay while preparing for the opportunity.

“For four years, I was not earning a salary and had to find my livelihood elsewhere, while working with somebody from 6am to 10pm. It was gruelling,” he said.

He maintained that the experience reinforced his belief that success comes when preparation meets opportunity, urging young people to remain prepared for opportunities even when others doubt their ambitions.

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