I want us to deliberate on this issue and take responsibility to reverse the trend.
When you men, women especially those who have been actively involved in political activities stampede a politician at burial ground, church, or any public events soliciting for financial inducement, what come into your mind? When you see grown up men and women surrounded the vehicle of a political office holder chanting "You are a leader," "Clear road for the leader," "we are loyal" and other jargons, what really come to your mind?
When did it become a crime for public figure to attend events? Sometimes I feel very embarrassed and humiliated seeing grown up men and women running after a speedy vehicle just to get money from public figure to an extent that some find it difficult to attend event, with the fear that he or she will be stampeded to donate money that was not budgeted for.
The worst of it all is that people who are on paid employment will even struggle more than those who do not have anything to fall back on. If they are fortunate to be given the money, fight will broke out.
What is really responsible for this unfortunate development? Where are our core values of respect, honesty, humility, loyalty, morality, etc?
I condemn in strong terms this attitude of stampeding a public figure especially a political office holder at public functions with the intent of getting money. It doesnt is irritating to see grown up men and women running after a moving vehicle just to beg for money. This is not our culture and it bring us to public ridicule. I know some people justified this action as being part of politics and I ask again, can't we play politics with decency? Stampeding public functions create fear in them to attend other events and it promote corruption as someone will be forced to dip his or her hands into money that wasn't budgeted for.
I am saying all that to say this that we deserves more than what we get. Lets end this embarrassing situation. Public figures should stop patronising professional beggars at public events. By so doing, no responsible man or woman will pay his way to follow you to every events with the aim of getting money. There are many ways to get reasonable money from public figures and politicians and public begging is not one of them as they will see you as being irresponsible, uncultured and don't deserves given attention.
