It is not the MP's duty to buy Ambulances


By Michael Aboneka Jr

There has been a rush for MPs to buy Ambulances to their voters as a token of appreciation for their votes. It seems purchasing an Ambulance is an unwritten rule within the corridors of Parliament or out of peer pressure. These MPs purchase anything and call it an Ambulance; I have seen toyota premios, probox vehicles passed off as ambulances of course with huge emblems of the MP so that the voters cannot forget them at the last hour. There seems to be no policy regulating ambulances because ambulances are categorized in grades depending on their purpose and the least standard  ambulance costs about USD 25,000 and a specialized one about USD 150,000. There are further regulations on how these should be and that most times, what we see MPs donating is merely a transport vehicle baptized as an Ambulance. We need to have a robust policy to regulate the ambulances so that whoever wants to extend charity, they do so while meeting all standards. 

Be that as it may, it is not the MP's responsibility to buy an ambulance for their voters. Their role is to lobby for effective adequate health services for their constituents through legislation, appropriation and oversight! What is also disturbing is that most of these MPs do not transfer the so called ambulances to their beneficiaries; the ambulance remains their property and we have seen some withdrawing it after they lose elections and this qualifies the argument that it is a mere campaign tool by the MP and not a genuine act of philanthropy.

Moving forward, I would love to see improved health services for the general population courtesy of the MPs than just many ambulances parked at their Constituency offices; it is also their duty to teach the voters that it is not their responsibility to buy ambulances, pay school fees, buy food, coffins, saucepans at funerals. Doing any of these as an act of kindness is acceptable but should not be seen as a tool for campaign! We owe this country proper representation rather than majoring in trivial issues and blaming it on the voters! 

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