**5. The financial emolument of political leadership**

Political Leadership has its payoffs, incentives as well as rewards just like every other endeavor and aspiration. All leaders in every sphere of influence, deserve to be honored respected and remunerated for work done and inputs made as a result of responsibilities tied to such leadership roles. From a political perspective, the benefits and returns for leadership responsibility varies. They include emotional, monetary, territorial, economic, physical and even legal. Motivations for leaders vary also, depending on personal traits, inclination and situation. The bottom-line is every political leader has a motivating factor that is tied to a reward whether it is positively or negatively aligned. Prolonged observation and evaluation has shown especially in developing climes that the monetary gain seems to be the highest motivating factor.

It must be understood at every point in time that every leader especially a political one, is just as human as any other individual. They have needs and desires just like everyone and have their emotions active accordingly. Their fundamental senses are at work just like all healthy humans. The preceding statement is vital, so as not to have overbearing expectations political leaders, even though more is required of them by virtue of the leadership positions they now occupy.

But then again, it behooves on us to assess political leaders on their true motive for taking up political positions and offering themselves for service. Evaluations of political leadership from developing countries in continents like Africa, have shown that more often than not, monetary benefits and self-aggrandizement are their primary focus.

Let us take into consideration a country like Nigeria for instance. Judging from her statistics and natural endowments, she ought to be the innovative driver for Africa. Is this the scenario at play currently? Apparently, it is not. A country richly endowed with natural resources and high quality human capital, but it is yet to find its rightful place among the comity of nations. A major reason that has been responsible for her socioeconomic stagnation is the element of corruption. Corruption rarely thrives were monetary benefits are not the major incentives attached to deliverables and accomplishments tied to job roles or positions.
