A municipal mandate is experienced on the ground, but it can also be recounted between the pages of a book. This is the exercise that Saïdou Maïga undertook in "The Mayor of Falagountou".
Far from being a simple account of a political career, the book revisits the years the author spent leading this rural commune in the Séno province. Elected mayor on June 20, 2016, Saïdou Maïga left office on December 31, 2020.
Conceived as a testimony intended to transmit an experience to those who aspire to govern tomorrow, the work is divided into four main parts.
A mandate between actions and trials on the ground
The book launch ceremony took on the air of a reunion, bringing together former colleagues, local and traditional leaders including the Emir of Liptako, as well as numerous readers. Among those present, Simon Compaoré, former mayor of Ouagadougou, received the very first autographed copy.
By reading through the 187 pages, the reader will discover the anecdote of the 1000 FCFA. During the election campaign, while the team was visiting a neighborhood, a woman asked them how much money they had brought.
Saïdou Maïga, who refused to buy consciences, said he responded to the question without giving in to provocation, remembering his father's advice: "Keep your cool in front of those you want to convince. I defended our program," he confided.
A program that the local prodigy then put into action. On the social front, for example, the mayor at the time, Saïdou Maïga, who is now Burkina Faso's ambassador to Senegal, notably negotiated with mining companies to finance water, education, healthcare, and the empowerment of young people and women.
This municipal experience, immortalized by the author, is also marked by the security crisis that severely affected the locality. In his book, Saïdou Maïga does not forget those who paid the price.
"To the mayors struck by violence, some assassinated, others missing to this day, to the FDS and the VDP, their memory lives on in this book. I pay tribute to them with respect and admiration," he said.
Reactions to the work
Those who knew Saïdou Maïga were quick to praise his approach. Maurice Konaté, who was then High Commissioner of the Séno province and who wrote the preface to the book, sees it as a reflection of experience lived in close proximity to the people.
"I hope that this book will be read by local government officials, the general public and young people preparing to serve. May they cultivate their awareness of the realities on the ground and their demands on public action," recommends the author of the preface.
Published by Éditions Mercury, the book has a print run of 1,000 copies for this first edition. The Mayor of Falagountou is available at a unit price of 7,000 CFA francs.
Cheich Omar Ouédraogo
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