When Political Stipends Silence Your Conscience

There’s a hidden trap in politics. When your rent, fuel, children’s school fees and daily food depend on one man’s allowance, your conscience takes a back seat. Money can force you to defend the indefensible, attack those who speak out and slowly lose your own voice. You begin to parrot lies, label truth-tellers as enemies and wake up one day unrecognisable to yourself. To stay honest, make politics only part of your income. Learn a skill or run a small business so you can say “Oga, this is wrong” without fear. Decide in advance what you will never do for money — write those lines down and stick to them. Leaders, too, should welcome voices that aren’t paid to agree. Surround yourself with people whose bills don’t depend 100% on you. Politics should be service, not slavery.

Use The App To Win ₦1m

Stories are shared by community members. This article does not represent the official view of NaijaWorld — the author is solely responsible for its content.