 It's not a secret that the majority of the old generation of African leaders have failed woefully in their jobs as leaders. These leaders are weak, greedy, old and selfish men who once they get into power forget that they are in that position of power to serve the people. They are not accountable to the people and neither are they transparent in their dealings. These characters have led the African political system to become the breeding ground for corruption. If you check the list of the most corrupt countries in the world, you shouldn't be surprised to see that African countries constitute the majority. This is because it's a well-known fact that Africa is filled with politicians who twist the Constitution for their own gain, loot public funds at the expense of the people, and shut down those who call out their crimes. However, this narrative is about to change because a new generation of African leaders is rising. African leaders who have pledged to fight corruption and pursue the sovereignty of their countries are being birthed forth. One such leader is the newly elected president of Senegal, Bassiro Diome Faye, who is currently the youngest elected president in the world. From his presidential campaign and his manifesto to his first public appearance as the newly elected president of Senegal, Faye has set out to distinguish himself from the older generation of African leaders. Unlike most African presidents who enter into power through electoral fraud, manipulating the Constitution or shutting down the opposition, it can rightly be said that Faye won the election fair and square. There was no record of electoral violence or manipulation of the people to vote for him. Instead, Faye's campaign under the direction of Usman Sonko was able to draw people, especially young Senegalese who were tired of the outgoing administration to them. This is despite the fact that he had just a week to conduct the campaign because he was released a week before the election from the prison where he had been for the past 11 months for charges that are believed to be politically motivated. And against all odds, Faye won 54% of the presidential vote. But there is something interesting that we can't help but take notice of. Two days before the presidential election, which was held on March 22, 2024, Faye disclosed on his Facebook page his entire wealth portfolio. This was a rare move in African politics, and to tell you how rare it is, none of the 18 presidential candidates who were also contesting for the position of the president, including the ruling party's candidate Amadou Bah, disclosed their wealth. In the publication titled, Heritage Declaration of the Candidate Basiru Diomaya Diakar Faye, Faye listed all his assets and liabilities since October 2007. According to the publication, the president elect owned only one house built on 200 mitzvahs of land in Mermoz, allocated by the tax union, and built from 2017 to 2021, partly with his own funds and partly with loans settled. He also owns two vehicles, one of which is the 2012 secondhand Focus, which he bought in 2019 for 6.5 million CFA franc, while the other is a secondhand Ford Explorer Platinum, which he bought in 2022 for 19 million CFA franc. In addition to his house and two cars, Faye also listed the total amount of money he has in his bank account. In the document, Faye stated that, as of March 19, 2024, he had money in two bank accounts. One of them had over 3 million plus CFA franc, while the other had 7 million plus CFA franc. Faye also declared his undeveloped lands, some of which include a terrain of 80 meters acquired in 2017, worth 3 million CFA franc, and an agricultural land of 4.3 hectares, which he acquired in 2022, worth 15 million CFA franc. Faye also listed his liabilities, which include a 30 million CFA franc loan taken on September 5, 2022, an 8 million CFA franc loan taken on August 22, 2022, and a 10 million CFA franc loan from a friend. This is transparency in its true form, and the amazing thing is that he did this without knowing he would win the election. According to the law, the presidential candidate is required to declare his assets after he wins the election, meaning there was no need for Faye to declare his assets before the election. But he did, proving that he is truly a transparent leader and different from those who came before him. His action was further exemplified when he declared that he would willingly submit the document to the Constitutional Court immediately after assuming office. Faye's actions have endeared him to the hearts of Senegalese as well as other Africans, because it's a well-known fact that the majority of African leaders refuse to declare their assets to the public before assuming power. And even when they do, the true amount of their wealth is not revealed, allowing them to exploit their position for their personal gain without public scrutiny. Let's take the giant of Africa, Nigeria, for example. In Nigeria, the law says that public officers should declare their assets, but there is a loophole that most Nigerian politicians have taken advantage of. Although the law says that Nigerian politicians should declare their assets, it doesn't exactly say that they must make them public. This means that even if Nigerian politicians declare their assets, Nigerians cannot access those records most of the time. In 2012, when Goodluck Jonathan was the president of Nigeria, the issue of assets declaration came up. And guess what his response was? According to Goodluck Jonathan, the issue of public asset declaration is a matter of personal principles. And since it's not his principle, he would not declare his assets no matter what anybody says and no matter the amount of criticism he gets. Imagine that. Even when the African Union called on President Goodluck and other African leaders to openly declare their assets and subject their wealth to public scrutiny, President Goodluck adamantly refused. In 2015, President Mohamedu Buhari attempted to do something different by declaring his assets to the public, although it's a well-known fact in Nigeria that he only did that in response to growing pressure on them to fulfill a major campaign promise. And even at that, the details were sketchy. And until he left office eight years later, those details were never revealed. However, this issue of politicians refusing to declare their assets is not just limited to Nigeria. It's something that has happened over time across the African continent. While politicians such as former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan believed that asset declaration is a matter of personal principle, the fact is that asset declaration is a political tool that will help fight against corruption in the government. Imagine if, by law, it were required that every politician from the president down to the last position in the government be expected to publicly declare their assets before they assume power. Without a doubt, the war against corruption would yield the desired results because with public declarations of assets, the citizens would be able to track the expansion and contraction of the wealth of public officers, including the president. This tracking will help anti-corruption bodies in the country easily find politicians who are looting public funds. However, when the true wealth of politicians is not made public, it would be very difficult to detect and track sharp increases in their net worth, which may be gotten from bribery or embezzlement of public funds. And at the end of their tenure, these leaders would leave their offices richer than before they entered without any repercussions from the law. This cycle of corruption needs to be broken if the African continent is to grow. So, unlike Goodluck, Jonathan believes asset declaration shouldn't be a matter of personal belief, but a law because a leader ought to be transparent and accountable to the people. This is what Senegal's president-elect Diome Faye has achieved, and it's important that every African leader follows in his footsteps. By declaring his assets, it will be much easier to believe Faye when during his first public appearance stated that he pledged to govern with humility and fight corruption at all levels of government. Indeed, as Faye noted, the people of Senegal have chosen to break with the past by electing him as president. What do you think about the actions of Senegal's president-elect? Let us know in the comment section below. If you are new to our channel, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this video.