By: Felix Khonte
THE MALICIOUS MAN: “A Worthless Person, A Wicked Man Goes Around Speaking Dishonestly, Winking His Eyes, Signaling with His Feet, And Gesturing with His Fingers. He Always Plots Evil With Perversity In His Heart; He Stirs Up Trouble. Therefore, Calamity Will Strike Him Suddenly; He Will Be Shattered Instantly, Beyond Recovery” (Proverbs chapter 6 verses 12-15)
GREED AND THE WISH: The activities and underground maneuverings of former president Ernest Koroma since he relinquished power in 2018 could be likened to the story of “King Midas And The Golden Touch”. King Midas was a ruler in Phrygia, of Greek Mythology known for his insatiable desire for gold. He consulted a god, “Dionysus” to make him rich in gold. Not realizing the consequences, he was granted the request that made him to be enormously rich in mineral gold.
Initially ecstatic, he soon realized that the wish was a curse, turning his daughter, food, water, house, and everything in his house hold into gold. After suffering greatly from this inertia for a considerable period of time, King Midas consulted the underworld god that gave him this “good for nothing wealth”. He begged the god to reverse the wish so that he and all his house hold belongings can return to normal again. The satanic god then instructed him to go and wash in the “Patulous River “so that he can receive his healing from this curse. Instantly, he received his healing and everything in his household returned to normal.
But in our own case, the “Deceitful Protagonist’s” insatiable desire for power was built on envy, greed and selfishness against his party and country. He built a foundation of development and a progenitor of esteem approach that was second to none during his ten years reign as president of our nation. His main focus was bent on building monumental dirty packages in his thirst of achieving fame, at the same time condoning and nurturing deep rooted animosities in the build up to his second and final two term mandate as president of Sierra Leone. “Dishonest Scales Are Detestable To The Lord, But An Accurate Weight Is His Delight. When Arrogance Comes, Disgrace Follows, But With Humility Comes Wisdom. The Integrity of The Upright Guides Them, But the Perversity of The Treacherous Destroys Them. (pr.11: 1-3)
During his presidency, he was the idol of almost every Sierra Leonean, who brought development to almost every district headquarter town across the country. His unsusceptible approach with the common man in the street earned him the ‘mistaken accolades’ as the poor man’s president. He carried a charm of inbuilt hypocritical gentle smile, seemingly, as if he mocked himself; and scorned his evil spirits within him whenever he appeared in public. The silver hair that he carries along symbolizes the deaths of innocent people that were loyal to him, but at the end, suddenly turned his back against them; leading to their horrible deaths from the barrels of the gun. What a great betrayal of trust from the former first gentleman of the land! “Wealth Is Not Profitable On A Day Of Wrath, But Righteousness Rescues From Death. The Righteousness Of The Blameless Clears The Path, But The Wicked Person Will Fall Because Of His Wickedness”. (Proverbs chapter 11 verses 4-5).
Passion is slowly giving place to cold calculations as the days keep tracking on Ernest Koroma and his gang of traitors. His intricacies, and manipulative maneuverings that lured the entire APC executive to dance to the dictates of the embattled former president, has dragged them to the embers of the darkest and most ridiculous unwritten history of modern times! More immediately serious, is the lack of harmony between Ernest Koroma and the executive on one hand, and the majority grassroots members on the other hand. The grassroots are the majority stake holders of any sober and vibrant political party in any democratic dispensation. But they have been left in the cold at the mercy of happy trigger and gun carrying personnel, who are ready to draw the trigger at any given moment they might want to carry the onslaught! “Anyone Trusting In His Riches Will Fall, But The Righteous Will Flourish Like Foliage. The One Who Brings Ruin On His Household Will Inherit The Wind; And A Fool Will Be A Slave To Someone Who’s Heart Is Wise. The Fruit Of The Righteous Is A Tree Of Life, But A Cunning Person Takes Lives. If the Righteous Will Be Repaid on Earth, How Much More The Wicked And The Sinful.” (Proverbs chapter 11 verses 28-31).
The storm renews the tensions every passing day, as if they are warnings from the gods that something is deep rooted inside the former president, that he needs to settle with his former subjects. The Romans and the Elizabethans of olden days held different views about political maneuverings and how these covertly affected their society. In essence, they developed the concept that the world of nature, known as the “Macrocosm”, and the political world of man, the “Microcosm” reflect each other. Therefore, disturbance to one causes parallel or unusual events to the other. Of course, there are skeptics who hold the view that you are the primary cause of all the current political instability in our dear land. “Who Ever Loves Discipline Loves Knowledge, But One Who Hates Correction Is Stupid. One Who Is Good Obtains Favor From The Lord, But He Condemns A Person Who Schemes. No One Can Be Made Secured By Wickedness, But The Root Of The Righteous Is Immovable (Proverbs chapter 12 verses 1-3).
Dear Statesman, our elders usually say that if a good person does something wrong, it is only patched up with sin. And a sinner who does something good is equally patched up with goodness. If this logic works good on your side, that’s great. If not, what can you do about it? Since the real people that you betrayed are your former subjects. People who thronged the streets of the capital city and the provincial towns and cities, singing, dancing, and sweating profusely, under rain, and under the hot sun; some with babies clad in their backs just to have a glimpse of you. Today, you have over looked them like the carcass that is not fit purpose! “Genuine Righteousness Leads To Life, But Pursuing Evil Leads To Death. Those With Twisted Minds Are Detestable To The Lord, But Those With Blameless Conduct Are His Delight. Be Assured That A Wicked Person Will Not Go Unpunished, But The Offspring Of The Righteous Will Escape.”(Proverbs chapter 11 verses 19-21).
Mr. Statesman, too many accusing fingers have been pointed against you about your complicity in this our current political brouhaha. In all of these allegations, you have never made a statement countering those allegations. As a former head of state, your continued stay in Nigeria as a refuge is not good for your image. “IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT YOU ARE HOLDING ONTO, THAT IS LIKENED TO KING MIDAS OF THE GREEK MYTHOLOGY, IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO FACE REALITY. TELL THAT THING, THAT YOU HAVE COME TO UNDO WHAT YOU DID YEARS BACK. EVEN IF IT IS THE FRATERNITY OF THE BILLIONAIRES CLUB, WHICH WE ARE TOLD, YOU HAVE RECENTLY BEEN INITIATED INTO”. Swallow the bitter pill of your ego, and think passionately about your people. Be bold enough to tell them that you don’t want to continue to be “THE DECEITFUL GOD FATHER” of your people, and that you have had a lot of backlash from them, therefore; terminate the agreement and make amends with your citizens”. That actually will be a good decision for you to make for the sake of Mama and Papa Salone, the land that we so love, IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME, AMEN!!! “Wealth Obtained By Fraud Will Dwindle, But Whoever Earns It Through Labor Will Multiply It. Hope Delayed Makes The Heart Sick, But Desire Fulfilled Is A Tree Of Life. The One Who Has Contempt For Instructions Will Pay The Penalty, But The One Who Respects A Command Will Be Rewarded Accordingly”.(Proverbs chapter 13 verses 11-13).