Are Politicians trustworthy?

The National Assembly and the Senate have just ended their June sessions, the second of the year with a number of bills affecting the life of the nation has passed. They were also able to have members of government parade the rostrum to answer to some disturbing issues, in order to assure all of accountability.

These men and women, who occupy what we refer to as the Glass House because the National Assembly building has glass all over it, are our representatives. We have given them the mandate to legislate in our favour. They form part of the different wings of government which we know is made up of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.

These are three different areas of government which complement themselves. If I do not blaspheme I can liken them to the Trinity – the Father, who is the Executive, the Son who is the Legislature and the Spirit who is the Judiciary.

Though they are different in their duties, they have their roles to play to make the state function by providing checks and balances. But the way things sometimes appear in our land, it is difficult to distinguish the difference between them because the one who seemingly dictates the pace for the others, actually plays the father role.

Rules and regulations seem always to be dictated from above and the legislative and judiciary always submit to the dictates of the executive. They are rubber stamped partners, for one would think they have no role to play except concur with all that the executive brings to the table. Like they sometimes would say, “our hands are tied and we can’t do otherwise.” Every once in a while, we see a few recalcitrant politicians in the National Assembly walk out in protest of an issue but with little effect because the executive usually seems to plant its dragon head inside the ranks of the parliamentarians. But like the Christians always say “all is well”, so long as there is peace.

There is so much politicking in our system that we somehow can no longer tell who the real politician is. Civil servants, managers of companies are usually co-opted into politics and so they are found in the field openly advocating for some political part. The question is, who is then the politician? Is it just the one we vote to the legislature or can each and every one of us wear the label of politician?

A politician is supposed to be a Statesman or woman; s/he is a legislator, a lawmaker and above all a public servant. The word politic has different connotations, so we can all claim to be politicians. From a positive perspective, we all are pólìticians because we are expected to operate wisely, prudently, sensibly and judiciously when it comes to matters of the State. That is our role in politics. But when we operate, no matter at what level with our hands tied, how much wisdom are we employing for the State to operate.

A group of politicians were involved in an accident as they went for an excursion. The accident occurred near a farm. The owner rushed to the scene to ascertain what had happened. He found out that all of them were dead except one.

He decided to bury them. When the police came to investigate, the pastor told them, he quickly buried them when he discovered they were politicians. He told the police one of them revealed that he was still alive. But he buried even that one, because politicians tell lies and he would not want to see any of them alive. He does not trust them.

How would you behave to the politicians of our day? Would you bury them or would you let them continue to fool us with their sweet talks and perhaps cowardly act? They are in the field now. What account can they give of their stewardship?