PNG Leaders lack integrity

IT has become patently obvious that some of our national leaders are taking advantage of their positions as policy makers and the legislators of this land.

Whenever we hear of parliamentarians involved in deals between the state and big businesses, the ever-present shadow of corruption seems to loom large.
Have we ever asked ourselves why many members live lavish lifestyles after they have been elected to office?

If they were men of wealth and power before parliament, how their riches seem to have increased manifold.
How many, if not all of them, entered office as individuals of modest means, but have somehow become the clichéd “overnight millionaire”?

Do we stop to question their conduct in a way that does not rely on the “what’s in it for me” attitude?
Have we stopped to really ponder why the culture on self-enrichment and placing oneself ahead of the greater good seems to be a significantly accurate epithet for leadership in this country?

This may not be true for all our nation’s leaders but it is close to reality for a good number of our MPs.
No one (rich, poor, educated, semi-literate, self-professed churchmen, traditionalists, idealists and basically all manner of men) seems to be immune to the temptation of misusing public monies, especially when the there is a perceived sense of entitlement that offsets unethical and immoral conduct.

As difficult as it may be given, the low rate of convictions and successful cases against our elected representatives by the leadership tribunals and the Ombudsman Commission, our leaders are still left to their own devices when it comes to disbursing and directing funding.

Perhaps another reason why our leaders are wont to fall prey to the largesse is the inordinate amount of money they are allocated for their electorates.
Currently, the amount stands at K10 million. That means through the course of a term, which lasts five years, an MP has at his disposal at least K50 million.

The use of that money is discretionary and the check and balance to account for its use are the annual acquittals that members are, by law, expected to make.
Have we ever asked ourselves what qualifications and proper training do our leaders possess to be able to effectively use such allocations?

It is safe to say that a minority have their books in order when the inquisitor comes knocking.
But that seems to be the problem.

The application and policing of standards, particularly in relation to the use of public money, is poor.
How else can we explain the lack of sustainable development and change within our electorates?
It has often been quipped that these slush funds that MPs are given yearly are nothing more than the perks of being in office.

Imagine that, there is already an entrenched mentality, covert in most cases but none the less insidious, regarding how people in this country consider what is proper and acceptable conduct when it comes to the use of taxpayers’ money.

The question that faces now on a daily basis is can we, as individuals, families and communities, act to address this problem?
As the old adage says, we must “practice what we preach” and live our lives consistent with those tenets.
If we want to eradicate corruption, then, we must not tolerate it anywhere and anytime.

It is a hard road to take and, being human, we are bound to fail repeatedly.
But, if we continuously set high standards of conduct and enforce them diligently, then, we can eventually change our collective mindset.

Of course, the drive to change may not necessarily come from within; there has been a school of thought that to ensure best practices are consistently met, we need to have an external influence, hence the need for cooperation and collaboration with other countries that have the track record and proven methods to get the best results in administration and governance.

This may not always sit well with our nationalistic views and mores but we can only see the tangible results and judge if the steps we have taken are worth the trade-off.

Given where this nation is at present, and where it could be with a better attitude and direction, the sacrifices will be worth it in the long run.

OP-ED