ARE OUR LEADERS THINKING OF US, OR ARE THEY OVERWHELMED WITH THE SPOILS OF OFFICE AND THE LIES BY SYCOPHANTS AND HANGERS-ON?

Greed rather than service seem to be the underlining motive for going into government in Nigeria. Let me give you three scenarios that bring my thesis to life:
1. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO FEED A PRESIDENT?
From the 2015 budget estimates, it will cost 4 Billion Naira to feed the President, his household and guests in 2015. That amount will provide more than 312,000 packs of Indomie Noodles daily, for one year. That is enough to feed the Children in the displaced people's camps in North-East Nigeria for one year. I would reckon that if our leaders were thinking about us, just a quarter of that amount is more than enough.
2. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HOUSE A VICE PRESIDENT?
Initially, the amount budgeted for the building of a new residence for Vice President Namadi Sambo was 7 Billion naira but given the need to accommodate the lifestyle of the Vice President, the initial plan was altered leading to a cost over-run of 9 Billion naira, bringing the entire cost to 16 Billion naira. 16 Billion Naira will build at least 2 standard Primary Healthcare Centres in each of the 36 States of Nigeria at an average cost of 200 Million Naira. Why do we need a new House for a Vice President? Should that truly be a priority if our leaders are serious?
3. WHAT IS THE SALARY OF A NIGERIAN SENATOR?
The Economist magazine revealed that Nigeria federal legislators, with a basic salary of $189,500.00 per annum (N30.6m), are the highest paid lawmakers in the world. It looked at the lawmakers' basic salary as a ratio of the Gross Domestic Product per person across the world. According to the report, the basic salary (which excludes allowances); of a Nigerian lawmaker is 116 times the country's GDP per person of $1,600.00. In another report, the 469 federal lawmakers (109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives) cost Nigeria over N76 billion on annual salaries, allowances and quarterly payments. Each member of the 54 standing Senate committee, receives a monthly imprest of between N648 million and N972 million per year, while, a member of the House of Representatives receives N35 million or N140 million as quarterly or yearly allowances; which means conservatively the 25 per cent of the overhead of the nation's budget goes to the National Assembly. Aside from their scandalous wages, kept from the public consumption, their intended imbedding pensions for life for its principal officers into the Constitution; and now the Federal government's reports that the National Assembly have spent N1 trillion from 2005 to 2013, really makes non-sense of the meaning of service. If only they had cut their wages and allowances in the last 10 years by a half, we would have been able to deliver basic infrastructure which can stimulate growth in the domestic economy.
WHILE AN AVERAGE AMERICAN PRESIDENT AGES IN OFFICE, OURS GET FATTER. WHILE AN AVERAGE BRITISH POLITICIAN RIDES THE TRAIN, OURS RIDE PRIVATE JETS. Little wonder why Nigeria is not working for the good of all?