“He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon”
Nigeria is at another crossroad in her endless journey into true statehood. This country seems to be going “round and round like a rat on a hamster wheel in a cage” or like the ancient Israelites on their fabled journey to the promised land. Although, the Israelites took 40 years to get to the promised land, Nigeria has gone over 100 years (since amalgamation) but there is no sign of that promised land flowing with milk and honey in sight.
Any Nigerian with enough knowledge of the history of this land and its mismatched people who are always at each others throat must have accepted the country for what it is – a place that kills hope. Most people who care passionately about the people of the country and have worked hard to see the country make progress on the path of sanity always come to a point in their lives when they give up hope of ever seeing a better tomorrow before they give up the ghost.
After many frustrating years of fruitless labour and your loved ones began to scream at you that you are wasting your time and you are accused of neglecting the day to day reality of life, you realised it is about time to pack it in.
But it is very difficult to keep away from issues pertaining to Nigeria when genuine love is the bedrock of the initial engagement. Even though one is not particularly physically active but the mind is restless and it is always throwing the problems around and looking for that elixir solution that can cure the sick land and its people of their ailments.
The pandemonium – a normal day to day occurrence in Nigeria – about the coming political elections is not enough to attract my attention but the incessant use of some common aphorisms by the commentariats or chattering class is what tickled my ear to the point of contributing this essay. Briefly:
Aphorism 1: “choice between the devil and the deep blue sea”
Aphorism 2: “dine with that creature [devil] with the proverbial long spoon” (Wole Soyinka, The Challenge of Change – A Burden of Choice)
Aphorism 3: “in a choice between two evils, wisdom demands that a man choose whatever he considers a lesser evil” (E O Eke, Vote for a Lesser Evil)
Every commentator/contributor to the discourse about 2015 Presidential Election seems to accept that the contest is rigged even before the whistle is blown. Or, that there is no electoral contest in the real sense of it.
It seems all fair commentators that looked at the two main political parties and the two presidential candidates they put forward could not help it but shake their heads in disgust.
Unfortunately, under the gospel of democracy (or lets coin a name for it: ‘Concracy’) which is nothing but covert confidence trick for mass manipulation and control, Nigerians are of the naive opinion that this ‘Concracy’ of changing covertly selected political personages will see Nigeria through into a corruption-free land of peace and plenty.
Commentators and even partisan supporters of either party/presidential candidates end their discourses after much rigmarole with banal statements, like: after all none of us is perfect and so too are the frontmen of the parties; don’t expect saints in politics. So, they advise Nigerians to make a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea/vote for a lesser evil/dialogue or dine with the devil with a long spoon.
Wondering Aloud
I am just curious to know why everyone is saying things like these. A people that desire and crave for change and have built up the word CHANGE as a popular mantra for 2015 Presidential Election and yet they could only see two evils in the messianic leaders put forward by the political parties.
How did it happen that in a country of over 100million people (fraudulent census figures!), we can only find two uncooked or overcooked personalities as presidential candidate? Since we all know this is the fact, we now pacify ourselves with the inevitability of making a choice between two evils.
Why do we, as a people, continuously and knowingly (or perhaps out of congenital ignorance) have to keep making pointless choices?
Why are our eggheads deliberately setting us off on a wild goose chase when they advise us to choose between two evils?
Does it matter or does it make any iota of difference if it is a lesser evil or a greater evil?
The products we are being presented to choose from are all tainted and they are designed, manufactured and packaged by King Devil itself from its array of evil components and delicacies. For goodness sake, please do not take a bite because they are contaminated poisonous goodies.
Somebody needs to remind Nigerians that all those who have dined with the devil in the past ended up in the devil’s pot and belly. And between the devil and the deep blue sea, why bother, either of this choice is pointless.
Finally, choosing a lesser evil is only worthy of those who are in spiritual darkness. A good friend will advise you never to play dice or monkey game with evil whether it is a greater evil or a lesser evil, it does not matter. Anyone who has the fire of truth burning in his/her belly should choose to be neutral when faced with such diabolical choices.
Like every election ever conducted in Nigeria before and since independence those who are awakened to the truth of Nigeria would never expect a fair and truthful result.
A Country Birthed in Fraud
The creators/amalgamators of Nigeria birthed her in fraud and it is by fraud this evil contraption – the killer of hope – shall equally perish.
As it were, it seems all our “educated” personages understand that we are all sitting on a keg of gunpowder (now a nuclear warhead) but they insist we must carry on with our stupid skirmishes and pointless choices.
One observes with sadness the inquisitorial challenges placed before objective commentators to choose a side of the same bad coin as a measure of testing their patriotic standing.
How can anyone who is in fellowship with the spirit of truth be compelled to make a choice between two evils or between dining with the devil either with a long or short spoon?
None of this is a choice that a truth seeker who has found and know the truth of life and has been truly set free will contemplate even for a momentary second.
Good people of Nigeria, don’t allow any snake oil promoter or “snake in suit” marketeer, irrespective of their grand/acclaimed pedigree, lead you into a blind alley.
You have a choice.
Stand clear and far away from the inferno of a house on fire that can no longer be put out.
As you watch the house burn into ashes from your safe and vantage position, start thinking about how to raise and muster resources after the fire for the rebuilding of a brand new house befitting your new status as a FREE person who is no longer in bondage or enslavement.
A word is enough for the wise.
In The Spirit of Truth
SAM ABBD ISRAEL
SAM ABBD ISRAEL 