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Lord, Have Our Laws Become Respecters Of Persons?

Dear Father:

Have our village laws become the respecters of persons? I think it is worse than the animal farm oh.

What do you mean my son?

Ah, but Father, can’t you see that one group of people continue to feel that they are more superior to others in our village today. It’s just like the animal farm, we are not equally equal. Animals with two legs are bad and those with four legs are good.

Today in our village, if a chief steps on your toes and you complain, you are dragged to the Traditional Council to answer why you talk back to the chief. If a chief gets on our tiny feeder road called motor road and there are other vehicles they jump on the opposite lane and dare any Blue Uniform boys to stop them or else, your boss will be dragged at the Traditional Council to answer some questions.

As if that was not enough, if a chief went to a hospital today to take a patient there everything should come to a standstill and all attention pay on the chief or else, your boss stands the risk of being summoned.

If a chief misbehave, and is threatened with discipline, that chief runs straight to the Traditional Council and the next thing, you are cut into size, a total abuse of the village oracle, right? If a chief is not happy with other leaders in our village, that leader is summoned and disgraced publicly.

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Today, if a chief drove recklessly and a hustling driver tries to stand on his right to talk, he is ordered flogged and vehicle detained for gross insubordination. And the list goes on and on. Even as I am sending you this letter, Father, if by any chance it happens that any of them read it and it does not go down well with them, you should not be surprised when I am summoned at the Traditional Council to answer some questions or spend some time with my friend at the South Beach.

You don’t mean it?

Yes, oh Father. It must sound funny or ridicules, but that is the reality today in our village, the people think they deserve all the respects in this tiny forested village for chopping our money. They have change the conjugation of the verb I eat, you eat, we eat, to I eat, I eat I eat…..

But I thought respect is earned and not forcibly gotten?

Ah, it is not like that in our village oh, Father. Here our new breed of chiefs demands it. And when they are outside there they speak as if they angels-not know many of them are hustlers in disguise.

You know, Father, it reminds me of Aristophanes, Plutus who once said that orators in our societies, as long as they are poor, both state and people can only praise their uprightness; but once they are fattened on the public funds, they conceive a hatred for justice, plan intrigues against the people and attack the democracy.

But come to think of it, it is like a child who is not used to getting plenty. All through his life, he has suffered lack. So the minute he is opportune to be entrusted with something, he becomes so arrogant and over protective bearing at the back of his mind that he knows he does not deserve it and therefore he will take offense to the least criticism.

You joking my son.

Father, this is no joke, it is often said that a man of authority need not shout for his orders to be obeyed. It is only the ones who know fully well in their hearts that were they are they ought not to be there that shout when issuing orders. In essence it is not that they are trying to intimidate you with their shout, but it is the only way they can assure themselves that they have the power.

Trust me, Father, I know many nights most of our chiefs still think it is a dream for them to be at the Traditional Council-and those are the ones you hear making the most noise. For others who you look at and say yes, this chief deserve to be here are the ones you hardly hear making noise here and there.

So you see Father, there some of the chiefs who really know what they are about, but are often out number by the majority who are still dreaming and want to assure themselves that it is real and it’s just not a dream.

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