Hassan Alhaji Hassan
We have often dwelled on the elected official and how their corrupt outlets can be both surprising and damaging. And we lash them with all sorts of public dismay and curses.
But there is this other easy, cool group we hire to help the elected to deliver on the mandate. They are on the equal platform of public service and hold no less accountability not just to the appointer but to the people themselves.
They are smart to draw attention to their perceived qualifications, sweet mouths and fake pledge of loyalty and dedication. They eventually get the job, assume on a good note and later drown down the ebb of public notice. They may elude the public but there individuals who are always on the watch. We call them the public’s eyes and ears. They notice their sudden resignation and can call attention to them. Here is one.
It irritates any public good apologist that persons would claim to know much and work hard to attract government political appointment. But on getting there they keep mute. You don’t hear their voices for their bosses again and you don’t see them anywhere in public or around.
You can only imagine them working from behind to undermine and sabotage their bosses, using yahoo boys to fake lies and damaging issues against the government and pitch the people against leaders for selfish ends.
They try their hands on much fitna from the window and come back through the door after with fancy regrets of what has just happened and how bad they feel, saying a lot of sorry. They immediately sit to draft paper full budgets for actions to help scuttle the matter. In most cases God and bosses let them go away with it only as a reason to hold them later for it.
The stories are many and all over at different levels. Corruption is damn such pervasive we can’t believe. When we talk like this they are quick to use their antics and accuse us of false claims. But anyone who has a good heart can muse much of the dirt beneath, and easily too. Trust me.
They are silently angry against the boss that doesn’t release money for their whims and can go to any extent to destroy them. Where does this envy in evil deeds come from? It hasn’t been in our values. It is strange. Too bad.
Appointees may or mayn’t understand that their service is to the people, not to the boss even when he is the reason and the one to appoint them. And even if they think the boss is a cheat himself that is the boss’ own other problem to account for. It does not legitimise their actions or inactions to the government.
And contrary to one Hausa adage, cheating the cheat is not a service. No. Never. It is an evil in itself because both the cheat and the cheater’s cheat will have separate problems to accounts for.
They may or mayn’t also know that they will account for every bit of their disservice, sabotage and conspiracy against the people who own the government. The boss is also just a messenger like them.
We must orient people to pray and work hard against their hearts and minds to spare, distant and dissociate themselves from the evils of public theft/cheat others do in or out of office.
We should run the distance fast that we don’t get caught up anywhere near those who carry the loads of public debts on their heads, backs and shoulders…you can’t bear it. You don’t know what evil carries what weight.
A word can make huge difference. And change is possible if you want.
Hassan Alhaji Hassan is of the Department of Mass Communication, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi
[email protected]/08032829772
