allAfrica.com: Sierra Leone: Per Diem Scheme at a Point of Concern (Page 1 of 1)

The new spate of swindling of state resources in the name of per diem for government officials has risen to a point of concern to the poor people of the country.

There is a pointer that ministers and top civil servants have developed the agenda of asking for huge moneys any time they are on government assignment.

Some of them have even developed the habit of creating avenues unnecessarily to exploit the poor masses in the name of traveling here and there to officiate at national programmes.

They go out with poor tax payers' money and lodge in expensive hotels at the expense of the nation. Mostly, these patrols are to cheat on their wives leaving them at home and go out wasting the nation's wealth on funny girlfriends.

It has been discovered that ministers and civil servants ask for too much money mostly to enjoy their leisure either in the provinces or abroad. Yet we are still at the bottom rung on the ladder of progress.

One will wonder what our civil servants have been doing all these years. Their salary is the smallest in West Africa yet they hardly grumble. Civil servants have amassed wealth through clandestine means that have existed since colonial era. They have perpetuated corruption in every aspect of our national life.

Ironically, they are the very people who turn out to disrobe the state that they pattern and regulate. The per diem scheme has become another instrument for swindling the resources of the nation.

Parliamentarians pray everyday for their committees to seat so that they can over-charge the state for seating fees. They want to go on conferences not because they have the urge to promote state interest but the anxiety for per diems as a means of making extra money.

Workshops in government institutions now appear to be another tool for embezzling state resources. The civil servants will calculate exorbitant cost for these workshops so that the chunk of the estimated cost would be shared and misappropriated thereby not serving the intended purpose.

Achieving objectives of these workshops is far fetched. And people do not really care as long as it has to do with the state. Little energy is often disbursed where government business is concerned.

But these are the same people that cry out for good governance, transparency, accountability, good roads, good health care, safe drinking water and quality education. But how could these be achieved when personal interest is over-shadowing the moral feeling for serving one's nation?

Per diems and budgets for workshops in government institutions needs to be scrutinized, properly defended and sized according to the resources of the state. Let government officials feel sorry for the state and the condition of Sierra Leoneans.

This is so because the revenue generating machinery of the country is too weak due to poverty and disorganization. Our country squarely depends on donor moneys. These monies are not meant to be craftily personalized because certain people are in offices wherein they are supposed to oversee the well-being of the state.

People need to be contented with the facilities their jobs offer but not to cunningly extract money from the little resources available through per diems and conduction of workshops.

It is now the habit of all government workers to just take per diems for the conduction of workshops as bonus. But these stolen monies for personal pockets could be used for developmental purposes.

People should have sympathy for the state. Our country is a poor country. The people are suffering. All Sierra Leoneans should be their brother's keeper. The country is in a pitiful situation. Let people serve the nation first as the national pledge demands.

I honestly share the plight of civil servants for their poor salaries. But that is what the state can offer for now. There is hope for civil servants. The institution of the National Social Security Insurance Trust (NASSIT) was a brilliant idea. If properly managed, it will save civil servants from disgrace after retirement.

Most people understand why civil servants fight to aggrandize. A successful civil servant should be entitled to a house after retirement but the absence of such facilities have given birth to corruption.

There is the fear that after retirement, one would be left in the cold. There is a saying that government is ungrateful. It should not be like that. A guarantee of better life after retirement for civil servants will ensure hopeful future and minimize corruption.

Materialism has permeated our system. But it is the advantage of capitalism. All government workers are ready at any time to disadvantage the state and its people. In fact exorbitant budgets are projected by some ministries to the finance, development and economic planning ministry for approval.

The state should be above what individuals really seek. After amassing wealth from the state, these monies are used to buy fashionable cars but we do not have good roads. People live expensive lives with monies gathered fictitiously.

It is the duty of every Sierra Leonean to think of generations yet unborn and that serious programmes should be put in place to make our children live better lives tomorrow.

Government giving out per diems and funding workshops are all geared towards turning over the system for better standard of living. So civil servants should stop asking for too much money for doing state work.

People should be concerned about their contribution to national development. There is always a reward for any sincere contribution made to develop or for the success of any organization.

People should be mindful of the fact that the resources in the coffers is meant for the people of tomorrow. Therefore their interests should be protected. Civil servants should feel sorry for the poor people and cut down on their per diems and what they require for workshops should be in line with our sorrowful situation.

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