A BLEEDING NATION - CHAPTER 9: BROKEN PROMISES

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Chapter 9: Broken Promises

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«African Proverb: "The mouth may promise a feast, but it is the hand that serves the food."»

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«Yoruba Proverb: "Words are like eggs; once they break, they cannot be gathered again."»

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«Another Proverb: "A leader who builds his throne on lies should not be surprised when the people stop believing the truth."»

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The election season arrived like a festival.

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Colorful banners covered every street corner.

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Political posters smiled down from walls and billboards.

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Campaign songs filled the air.

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Convoys of vehicles moved from one town to another.

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Promises flowed like rivers.

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Every politician seemed to have a solution.

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Every candidate claimed to understand the people's suffering.

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Every speech sounded like salvation.

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In the town square, thousands gathered beneath the scorching sun to hear Senator Victor Balogun address the crowd.

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The atmosphere was electric.

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Party supporters danced.

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Musicians entertained.

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Journalists recorded every moment.

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When the senator finally stepped onto the stage, applause erupted.

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He raised both hands dramatically.

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"My people!"

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The crowd responded loudly.

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"I hear your cries!"

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More applause.

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"I know your pain!"

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The crowd cheered again.

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"I promise jobs for our youths!"

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Thunderous applause.

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"I promise security for our communities!"

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The crowd erupted.

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"I promise better hospitals, better schools, better roads, and a better future!"

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The cheers echoed across the town.

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For a moment, hope filled the air.

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People wanted to believe him.

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They needed to believe someone.

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After years of hardship, hope was often the only thing they had left.

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Among the crowd stood Daniel.

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Unlike many others, he listened carefully.

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Not to the promises.

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But to the patterns.

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He had heard similar speeches before.

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Different politicians.

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Different years.

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The same promises.

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The same excitement.

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The same disappointments.

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---

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Three months later, the election was over.

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Victor Balogun won comfortably.

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Celebrations lasted for days.

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Supporters danced through the streets.

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Party officials congratulated one another.

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Victory speeches filled television screens.

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The future looked bright.

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At least it seemed that way.

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But as weeks turned into months, reality returned.

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The roads remained broken.

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The hospitals remained overcrowded.

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The schools remained neglected.

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The unemployment crisis worsened.

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The insecurity continued.

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Yet inside government offices, life was different.

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New vehicles were purchased.

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New allowances were approved.

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New contracts were awarded.

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The politicians prospered.

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The people waited.

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---

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One afternoon, Daniel traveled to a rural community where Senator Balogun had promised to build a modern health center.

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The project had been one of his major campaign promises.

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During the election, large signs had been erected across the village.

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COMING SOON: STATE-OF-THE-ART MEDICAL CENTER.

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The signs still stood.

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But nothing else did.

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No hospital.

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No construction workers.

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No equipment.

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Only an empty field covered in weeds.

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An elderly farmer laughed bitterly when Daniel asked about the project.

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"My son, the hospital exists."

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Daniel looked confused.

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"Where?"

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The old man pointed toward the sky.

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"It exists in political speeches."

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Several villagers burst into laughter.

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Not because it was funny.

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But because it was painfully true.

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Promises had become a form of entertainment.

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People no longer expected results.

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Only speeches.

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---

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That evening, Daniel visited a secondary school.

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The principal welcomed him warmly.

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As they walked through the compound, Daniel noticed broken classrooms and leaking roofs.

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Students shared old textbooks.

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Some sat on damaged chairs.

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Others sat on the floor.

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The principal shook his head.

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"During the campaign, they promised to renovate this school."

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"What happened?"

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The principal smiled sadly.

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"They won."

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Nothing more needed to be said.

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Daniel understood.

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Winning had ended the conversation.

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The promises had served their purpose.

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Now they were forgotten.

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---

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Meanwhile, in the capital city, government officials held another press conference.

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The room was filled with cameras.

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Microphones lined the podium.

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The Minister of Development stood confidently before reporters.

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"Our administration has achieved tremendous success."

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Daniel watched the broadcast from a café.

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The statement made him laugh.

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Not because it was amusing.

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But because it felt disconnected from reality.

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Outside the café sat unemployed graduates.

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Nearby, traders struggled with rising costs.

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Across the nation, communities battled insecurity.

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Yet leaders spoke as if everything was perfect.

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The gap between words and reality had become enormous.

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Perhaps that was why citizens were losing trust.

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Trust cannot survive repeated disappointment.

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Eventually, people stop believing.

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---

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One night, Daniel visited his father.

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The old man sat outside beneath a mango tree.

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They talked for hours about politics and leadership.

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Suddenly, his father shared a proverb.

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«"A man who repeatedly points to a river but never leads you there is not a guide; he is a deceiver."»

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Daniel remained silent.

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His father continued.

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"Promises are easy."

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"Keeping them is difficult."

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"A true leader measures success by fulfilled promises, not beautiful speeches."

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The words stayed with Daniel long after the conversation ended.

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Because they reflected a painful truth.

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The nation had become addicted to promises.

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Election promises.

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Development promises.

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Security promises.

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Economic promises.

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Yet the people's lives rarely improved.

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---

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Months later, another election cycle began.

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Once again, politicians returned to communities they had ignored for years.

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They attended funerals.

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Visited markets.

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Shook hands with farmers.

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Shared meals with villagers.

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Posed for photographs.

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Made fresh promises.

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The same promises.

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The same script.

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The same performance.

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Daniel watched one campaign rally from the edge of the crowd.

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A young boy stood beside him.

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The candidate on stage promised free education.

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The crowd cheered.

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The boy looked at Daniel.

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"Will they really do it this time?"

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Daniel stared at the stage.

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For several seconds, he said nothing.

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Then he replied softly.

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"I hope so."

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But deep inside, he wasn't sure.

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Hope had become dangerous.

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Hope often led to disappointment.

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Yet without hope, the nation had nothing left.

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---

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That night, rain fell heavily across the city.

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Daniel sat by his window reflecting on everything he had witnessed.

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The abandoned projects.

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The broken schools.

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The neglected hospitals.

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The forgotten communities.

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The endless promises.

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He realized something important.

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A nation is not destroyed overnight.

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It is weakened gradually.

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Promise by promise.

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Lie by lie.

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Failure by failure.

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Until people no longer trust their leaders.

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And once trust disappears, the foundation of a nation begins to crack.

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Outside, thunder rolled across the sky.

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Daniel thought about the millions of citizens who still believed change was possible.

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The mothers praying for better schools.

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The fathers hoping for employment.

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The youths dreaming of opportunities.

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The communities longing for security.

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Their hopes were genuine.

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Their expectations were reasonable.

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All they wanted was leadership that cared.

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Leadership that served.

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Leadership that remembered its promises.

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As the rain continued falling, Daniel looked toward the dark horizon.

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The nation was still bleeding.

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Not only from corruption.

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Not only from insecurity.

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But from disappointment.

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The disappointment of promises made and forgotten.

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The disappointment of trust betrayed.

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The disappointment of citizens abandoned after elections.

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And until leaders learned that promises were sacred, the wounds of the nation would continue to deepen.

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Because a broken promise is more than a lie.

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It is a theft of hope.

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And hope was becoming one of the rarest things left in the nation.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Pg9NpVWBk

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