Many African politicians have been known to be masters of false promises, especially during campaign periods. After being elected, most of them don’t serve their communities’ interests but end up serving their interests.
They award themselves more salary increments when most of their citizens are wallowing in poverty despite all the resources around them.
“Why is Africa where it is right now? It is because we have politicians who don’t care about their own people. They are corrupted and sell outs. They’ve sold their souls,” Oladele Dosunmu, Stepwise International Training Services (SITS) Limited CEO in Nigeria, said.
He added that those who tolerate mediocrity from their leaders would be blamed. The leaders know they can get away with the bare minimum because voters are too passive; they seem to tolerate their buffoonery without any consequences.
“Africa needs visionary and selfless leaders. We’ve been compromised enough. It is time to stand up and give them what they deserve,” Oladede explained.
Hon Touma Njie, a member of the National Assembly for Banjul South in Gambia, during the 2022- 2023 budget session in parliament, expressed her disappointment with her colleagues who wanted to increase their salary as their communities were living in poverty.
“I feel ashamed to call myself an Honourable Member. This country does not have the feeling to nurture our children. $6billion allocated to salary alone not in administrative cost, and we say we are in a poor country,” She lamented, asking the house to reject the salary increment bill.
She added that leadership was about servitude, putting the interests of the people they serve before theirs, being accountable to them, and providing enabling infrastructures, social amenities and services to improve their lives.
She asked the MPs to consider the life and livelihood of children. Investing in education and health rather than paying and feeding themselves out of the poor people in the country.
“I have seen a proposal to increase the salary of the Speaker of this house increased from ¢658,000 to ¢1.56million, I feel ashamed to be called an honorable member,” she said.
