Lord, Let Them Leave The Chief Alone Ya

Dear Father:

Hahaha, ooh, hahaha. What’s going on my son, share the fun. Father, is it not this chief from the Traditional Council, the guy never ceases to amaze me. He’s such a unique character you know; He’s a good schemer, one who views integrity as nonsense and selfish interest as supreme. The guy really doesn’t have a shame face, you know.

Father, sometimes I wonder whether this guy’s political career would have survived by now had he been in a more civilized society where integrity is the hallmark. Anyway, this is a village with a group of people who will celebrate even a convicted criminal and justify his or her actions. But we can vote for murderers that criminals we will not celebrate-such is our kind.

My son, you still haven’t said anything-all I hear you speaking are big, big grammar.

Father, didn’t I tell you the other day how this chief, the former Paramount Chief from the Traditional Council had come up with something very revealing about the Old Lady’s beloved peeking?

Yes, my son, I remembered.

Didn’t I also inform you that even though, his revelation was staggering but there was a need to wait a while before giving it all the credence it deserves?

Yes, my son, you did. So what has happened now?

Father, the man begs the current Paramount Chief at the Traditional Council the other day to take him to the Old Lady’s place. He pleaded with the Paramount Chief to inform the Old Lady to please have her beloved peeking there during the time of the visit. And you know there has been some bad blood between them these few days ehn. So, the Old Lady out of excitement and her desperation to ensure cordiality between she and her people accepted the plea to give the chief an audience.

So, what happened next my son?

Father, this time, I was not there again, but they say, the chief lied down flat on his belly like a crawling reptile to ask the Old Lady and her beloved peeking to forgive him for all the bad, bad things he said about them.

Father, they say the chief did not stop there, he said all the things he said were lies and that he got his information from rumor and mere gossip by people who dislike the Old Lady. In fact, I heard they say he said he was stupid to have listen to them, can you image that?

Father, just think of this, how can one bring pieces of documents as evidence and turned around in less than a month to say all that he or she had presented were based on rumor and mere gossip put together by people of hate and presented to him, a chief of our village as facts and he went to town with it?

But guess what Father?

What, my son?

To show that the chief really does not have shame face or any integrity to protect, he went to town the next day to tell everybody in our village that what he said about the Old Lady and her son were mere rumor and gossip. Isn’t that disgraceful of a man who suppose to be a man of honor and dignity who teaches others about sincerity, integrity, exhibiting good leadership example; one who is quoted as reference by the ordinary man by virtue of his position as leader?

Now, I pray thee tell me Father, if a leader like the chief who is expected of a high moral authority can behave like some street hustler, what moral lesson is he teaching our young people? Is he saying that if you cannot get what you want in secret, you should come out in public blackmail people by spreading rumor and gossips in society?

Father, it is a shame you know, that when our children are seated with us watching TV or listening to the radio and our leaders are speaking these days in our village, we have to either turn -off the radio or television for fear that we do not know what kind of profanity that will be coming out of their mouths next.

But interestingly, this is a village we now find ourselves in and morality and integrity are zero. As we battle poverty and underdevelopment, our next fight is restoring sanity and integrity in our village.