Written by Prof. Mannixs E. Paul, PhD, FCFIP, FCIML, FCECFI, FFAR
There is an old saying: “If you live in a glass house, never throw stones.” This is more than a proverb — it is a warning about integrity and accountability. When public servants accumulate wealth and property far from the soil that nurtured them, it sends a powerful but troubling message: a lack of faith in their own nation’s future. Leaders who do this reveal not strength, but fear; not vision, but distrust of the very country they swore to serve.
True patriotism is not expressed through speeches or symbols but through choices — especially financial ones. Investing abroad while your own country struggles signals a divided loyalty. It is also a form of quiet abandonment, where the privileged secure their futures elsewhere while the ordinary citizen is left behind to endure the consequences of poor governance.
Every public office carries a moral debt to the people. It is not a platform for extraction but a mandate for stewardship. When leaders drain their nation’s resources, they are not simply enriching themselves; they are actively impoverishing future generations. Schools, hospitals, and infrastructure left unfunded today become the chains of underdevelopment tomorrow.
A day of accountability always comes — whether through public scrutiny, institutional reform, or the judgment of history. No matter how secure one feels behind foreign bank accounts or luxury properties, no one escapes the long memory of a betrayed nation. The true mark of leadership is the courage to build at home, to nurture institutions, and to leave one’s country stronger than it was found.
Ultimately, there is no place like home. Real power lies in transforming a nation into a place where even its leaders would gladly keep their wealth, educate their children, and retire with dignity. To do otherwise is to betray not only one’s people but one’s own legacy.
Courtesy of MEFoundation