THE LESSER EVIL (2)
Quickly take your mind back to the first part of our gist. I'm still enmeshed in the impasse of the 'lesser' and the 'bigger' evil. My people prefer to play with the lesser evil instead of being handled by a heartless leader. It is like running from a 'crooked' criminal to a more refined crook. So, the choice was made because the people needed a moment of respite in their lives. So, they now stand between the devil and the deep blue sea. Either way, at the long run, they will lose. As far as they were concerned, anything was better than pain. We all embraced the OLD WINE in a new bottle, as sour as the first wine was. Like vinegar, the people were forced to drink this sour wine, not even fermented with lemon; Just pure vinegar.
History explains to me that apart from the lesser evil's inclination towards violence and unclothed faced deceit, exposure has come plummeting in that he was close to disqualification in the last election as a result of certificate forgery and misconduct during his brief stay as chairman of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). Can a man of overwhelming temperament be saddled with the huge task of piloting the affairs of a state? A cry for my state, my Imo State. It has been uncovered recently that the security reserve of my state will be at the mercy of the so-called free education. I'm still wondering if this is one of the 'chop and chop' strategies to consume the state's funds;
If a recognised and trustworthy accounting firm is chosen to audit some of the crowd renting foundations that drummed up support for the different cowboys in the race, some of my brothers will be turned prisoners overnight because of the heavy 'choppies' that took place without delivering the goods. Maybe, it is this strategy that gave him that name, the 'lesser evil'
At a point, I began to reason in line with my friend on the definition of the 'lesser evil,' maybe that's why he pretended, at a point, that he was running for the president of Nigeria. Maybe it is as a result his party, Action Alliance, that became one huge demeanor pipe, where aspirants were swindled. But where they really swindled? If they were, why will they be fooled for the second time? To say the least, nothing really came out of that moment for his followers, as he jumped to PDP almost at the end, leaving his colleagues stranded and disappointed. Those who had that bitter experience will have a better angle to the gist.
Could it be because of the small amount of evil in him that he experienced a fall out as a special adviser under the then president? Though sources have revealed that it was not unconnected to his cunning nature and inordinate ambition; I doubt if 'lesser evil' can be sacked just like that; at least, it is expected that his evil can always be pardoned since it is not that weighty.
The 'Lesser Evil' whom many labelled failure, after losing in 1999 governorship primaries; also failed to use Solomon Lar to become PDP candidate. People have approached me several times on this subject. People said that Arthur Nzeribe, who already knew his antecedents, began a grand celebration as the All Peoples Party (APP) candidate during his ticket for the Senate. Could it be that, because evil beget evil that Arthur simply headed to INEC with the letter of his expulsion from UNIJOS and INEC wasted no time in disqualifying him from the Senate race? The question many people are asking is whether he is a better 'evil,' as my friend purportedly declared.
Today, the 'lesser evil,' who has been accused of breach of different contracts, is piloting the state affairs. Each time people tell me that I should stop referring to him as the lesser evil, my 'eye de red,' as I see a bleak future for our children and the next generation. I see a man who may cunningly mortgage my state to pimp his swagger; I see quiet and silent faces who have been deceived through this deceptive abracadabra and I can't stop weeping for the struggling Imo citizens. I saw in the years past when different political parties were formed to dupe people, only to have a messiah resurfacing after some years of political misfortunes and failures to win the governor's seat in my state. I'm not just angry that I was approached to sell my state and my pride, which they failed to actualise, but I'm sad for having kept quiet for long; no one should ever think that evil is less than evil. The devil that is considered harmless may turn out to be more dangerous than that one with a human face. This is because the one with the element of façade and fiction walks with mask and axe underneath.
Now, which is more dangerous? Of course, such evil can be considered less because of the difference in timing and approach. However, every death is death. It doesn't really matter how someone leaves mother earth. What matters is the devil. The difference that I see between the 'lesser' and the 'bigger' evil is the time difference between deactivation and explosion. The lesser evil might be intelligent in his approach towards the Imo indigenes, while the bigger evil might have been so crude in his approach. But one thing is important; time will prove how sincere the lesser evil is, in terms of our welfares. My friend asked to know if Imo citizens will ever smile in the midst of these mischievous and Machiavellian leaders. This is rather a bag of questions for those of us who sing praises of both the 'lesser' and 'bigger' evil. This is also a question directed to foreign donors and governments who know little or nothing about the objective of some foundations, which they appear to fund selflessly; but I guess it may just be a case of rub my back and I will massage yours.
Can someone help me out of this grammar puzzle? Is there a lesser or bigger evil as the case maybe? Is it a common logic to associate with the lesser evil, just to get rid of the bigger evil? I'm confused. I will have to wait again. Maybe I will reflect to continue with this piece until we are able to resolve the impasse of the 'lesser evil.'