Reasons politicians are unpatriotic in Nyamebekyere Republic

The forerunners of the economic development of every nation are its politicians. Resources at their dispensation are unlimited and they wield the power to get things done.

In other places of the world, like Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew and Dubai’s Rashid Al-Maktourm, the world is confident about what politicians can do. But for Africa, in particular, she keeps experiencing the

Read full articleworst from her first sons, the politicians. It’ll be prudent to know why they’re unpatriotic and, wouldn’t care if mother Africa is to fail.

The first to note down is the much-worshipped partisanship. Party lovers love their beloved parties than the nation which gave birth to them. Their philosophy is such that it’s okay for the nation to fail, not our party, lest hell will break loose.

So they vote more on party colours without giving room for competence. And if their party brings out a policy that would impede the nation, they turn deaf eyes and hearts and would assent to its line, hook, and sinker.

Politicians have thus become complacent about running their offices. They just don’t see the need to be patriotic towards defending the good name of the nation. Whatever the case, their party would never lose its votes in its strongholds.

There’s nothing like national policy. If ever there was one, the ways of both the ruling and opposition parties prove otherwise. They all have their wants and need-nots (which is the state’s needs). Their wants are first, so they strive to achieve them, which most a time looks more parochial than nationalism. It’s as though there’s nothing at stake. (Come and do what you want and leave if you want to leave.) Politicians for you!

As for accountability, it’s always a no-no. Politicians easily manipulate the figures. They always have their way out, because those who’d make them accountable, are themselves not accountable. In African politics they don’t show work; do something small and conjure some figures. That’s what is practiced. This fuels their ego while it robs the state of their patriotism.

Meeting of heads makes politicians unpatriotic. It seems that whenever there’s a policy that is to collectively create, loot, and share by all politicians then they’d come together. They hate each other only when a policy would make one party appears good in the eyes of the people. Public service workers are dying and thus need a good condition of service (retirement package and all). But politicians are interested in their Ex-gratia. Why aren’t they talking!?

The political apathy of citizens isn’t also helping. Citizens have become unperturbed about politics. They know that politics is only meant to kill and won’t allow politicians to think. Therefore, if it has to do with politics, whatever can happen, can happen. Instead of rallying behind politics, and ensuring that they hold politicians to accountability and, serving as whistleblowers where need be, they’d rather sleep. They care less, not even an inch.

Now with all these, how then do we expect politicians to be patriotic? We have given them the rope and they’re using it to tie us up. When they steal the state and we say they deserve to steal. And you want them to die for the state!?

This should bring us to the conclusion like Charles de Gaulle who came to know “that politics are too a serious matter to be left to politicians.”