The Good, the Bad and the Funny (not in that order)
The Funny: there is a little metal works kiosk near my house and every time I pass by there the guys who work there shout "Hey Spaceman" at me and wave. At first it was just one guy but now it’s all of them. I have no idea why they call me Spaceman. The best guess I can come up with is that it’s because of my sunglasses. That or I am partially deaf.
The Bad: I was reading the paper this afternoon and came across an article describing how MPs in Kenya are seeking an increase in their fuel allowances to $2 per km. It went on to say that MPs in Kenya earn $10,000 per month. Furthermore, parliament met for an average of one day a week last year. For MPs in a third world country to make 120 grand a year plus 2 bucks per kilometre is obscene and a stat like that goes a long way in explaining why Kenya is perceived to be so corrupt. Gas costs approximately $1 per litre and I know that all cars get more than half a km per litre. The audacity of such a move is unbelievable.
On the same page, another article talked about how MPs in Nigeria will begin debating whether to pass a constitutional amendment to allow President Obasanjo to run for a third term when his current term expires next year. Again, the optics are horrible. Obasanjo was once hailed as a reformer who would clean up Africa’s most populous country and now he is set to join Yoweri Museveni in Uganda, Robert Mugabe and too many others in the ranks of African Presidents-for-Life™.
Africa needs help to develop but it also needs to help itself and these self-serving actions are counter-productive to say the least. It is impossible for leaders to exhort their people to obey the rule of law and work hard while they flagrantly disregard their own words.
The world, particularly big donors as well as other African nations (like Ghana) need to bring pressure on leaders in countries like Kenya and Nigeria to set an even-passable example to their people. Sacrificing principle for political and other interests may have short-term benefits but the long-term result is that Africa stays mired in its current state which ultimately hurts the developed world as well.
And at last we come to "The Good". Despite what I wrote about Nigeria and Kenya, Africa is getting better, as I said a few weeks ago. As Bruce Springsteen would put it, it’s "Two steps up and one step back".
More good: two guys from the electricity company came today to fix our meter. I was the only one home and the guy told me that we needed a new one and how soon it came "would depend on [me]". He had one in his car that was supposed to be for another job but...
I think he wanted a bribe. I played dumb and he ended up giving me the meter anyways, after he spoke with Frances on the phone. I did give them Cokes though.
Ironically, when the meter was installed, the power was out.
The Bad: I was reading the paper this afternoon and came across an article describing how MPs in Kenya are seeking an increase in their fuel allowances to $2 per km. It went on to say that MPs in Kenya earn $10,000 per month. Furthermore, parliament met for an average of one day a week last year. For MPs in a third world country to make 120 grand a year plus 2 bucks per kilometre is obscene and a stat like that goes a long way in explaining why Kenya is perceived to be so corrupt. Gas costs approximately $1 per litre and I know that all cars get more than half a km per litre. The audacity of such a move is unbelievable.
On the same page, another article talked about how MPs in Nigeria will begin debating whether to pass a constitutional amendment to allow President Obasanjo to run for a third term when his current term expires next year. Again, the optics are horrible. Obasanjo was once hailed as a reformer who would clean up Africa’s most populous country and now he is set to join Yoweri Museveni in Uganda, Robert Mugabe and too many others in the ranks of African Presidents-for-Life™.
Africa needs help to develop but it also needs to help itself and these self-serving actions are counter-productive to say the least. It is impossible for leaders to exhort their people to obey the rule of law and work hard while they flagrantly disregard their own words.
The world, particularly big donors as well as other African nations (like Ghana) need to bring pressure on leaders in countries like Kenya and Nigeria to set an even-passable example to their people. Sacrificing principle for political and other interests may have short-term benefits but the long-term result is that Africa stays mired in its current state which ultimately hurts the developed world as well.
And at last we come to "The Good". Despite what I wrote about Nigeria and Kenya, Africa is getting better, as I said a few weeks ago. As Bruce Springsteen would put it, it’s "Two steps up and one step back".
More good: two guys from the electricity company came today to fix our meter. I was the only one home and the guy told me that we needed a new one and how soon it came "would depend on [me]". He had one in his car that was supposed to be for another job but...
I think he wanted a bribe. I played dumb and he ended up giving me the meter anyways, after he spoke with Frances on the phone. I did give them Cokes though.
Ironically, when the meter was installed, the power was out.
posted by Tony at 3:21 p.m.
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