Friends, Ghanaians, countrymen, they have done it again! We are being robbed! Did I just hear that our parliamentarians are asking for fifty thousand Ghana cedis as rent allowance? Fifty thousand Ghana cedis!
As I sit writing this article, I do so in total shock! What is wrong with Ghana? What is wrong with Africa? Our country is failing, and so is our continent! We are experiencing problems of insecurity, diseases, sanitation, poor transportation, roads, health care, education, utility services, etc. And yet, in trying desperately to find lasting solutions, our leadership only seems interested in what they stand to gain in service to the nation! What an irony! Our parliamentarians want fifty thousand Ghana cedis as rent allowance! Fifty thousand Ghana cedis, for two hundred and seventy five people! Let us all do the mathematics! The country needs to file for bankruptcy immediately! Perhaps HIPIC! A daylight robbery!!! Rather unfortunately, they are backing their claims! They are claiming it to be an advanced payment! Advance for what? Does the country own them anything, to talk about an advance? Guess what, I also need an advance! Yes, Ghanaians all need an advance! We need our share! How can an individual be paid a whooping sum of fifty thousand Ghana cedis as rent allowance or advance, as their conspiracy theory claims? Is the money supposed to rent an entire hotel, or perhaps, purchase one? What kind of accommodation are we talking about? Why should the country keep squandering huge sums of money on mere accommodation for politicians? Do our leaders make any sacrifices at all? The monies that could be used in viable projects to service the needs of the country, is always at the mercy of our politicians! Did we elect them into power simply to satisfy their hunger or we elected them to help solve their financial problems? The issue of accommodation for our parliamentarians is a persistent one! In the past, I knew of MPs quarters; where are these structures today? What has become of the AU village? Huge sums of monies have been paid, and still would, as rent allowances which have become a tradition over the years! How much does it even cost these days, to build a decent house? Why then must the country continually throw away such amounts on rent, when permanent structures could be built! How many civil servants have access to free accommodation in Ghana? How many ordinary Ghanaians have access to decent accommodation, to even consider it being free? Rather ironically, the parliamentarians residing within the capital, all fight for rent allowance! That is the story of Africa! Greedy politicians! Hungry politicians! It is only on our continent that politicians are paid the highest! The so-called impoverished Africa! It is only in Africa that politicians debate the nation over the amount of money that they supposedly deserve as salary, and not allowance! The nation owes no politician no salary! While the ordinary citizen struggles daily to make ends meet, wallowing in mediocrity, our politicians live in gluttony! This country pays its parliamentarians a monthly allowance, provides free transportation, including fuel allowance, accommodation, other sitting bonuses and the list, endless! Our politicians are living over the top! Outrageously over the top! Unacceptably, over the top! And yet, the ordinary citizen cannot have access to a basic amenity! Politicians in developed countries are paid virtually nothing whereas in the so-called impoverished Africa, politicians are virtually gods! The limited resources of the continent are practically being wasted on them! In return, they rob us, and the continent goes borrowing and sorrowing! Some parliamentarians have decided not to partake in some government assignments; their expected duties as parliamentarians! And yet, these hypocrites all want to enjoy a full share of the parliamentary loots, from their robbery! Only in Ghana! Only in Africa! From all indications, politicians would perpetually be greedy! Subsequently, as citizens, we ought to advice ourselves! Why should I vote to fuel a person’s personal agenda? How can my interest be safeguarded? It is obvious that our politicians are taking us for granted! Our needs are not being met! Ghanaians need to rise up and protest against such preposterous demands and behaviours! Our voices need to be heard! We need a people’s court that would fight for the interest of citizens! Instead of sitting in the comfort of our rooms complaining, the time has come for our complaints to be heard! Let our voices be heard for once! Enough is enough! Let us all stand united and fight against leaders, who only seem interested in draining this nation! I write as a concerned Ghanaian! I stand as a concerned citizen! If my assertions are wrong, I stand to be corrected! I am tired of politicians, who only seem more interested in themselves! I would not allow any politician to take undue advantage! I voted for democracy, justice, honesty, development, security, peace to mention but a few, and not for gluttony! In parliament, they are grouped into majority and minority! On our screens, it is about the difference in political ideologies! But of course, when it comes to robbing us dry, they stand united! They should all be charged with causing gross financial loss to the state! Political Judases!