TALE OF TWO KINGS

TALE OF TWO KINGS

              BY AGADA IKECHUKWU

Once upon a time, there were two kings who ruled two kingdoms. The older septuagenarian king who occupied a higher stool of the mother kingdom. The Ist Class Traditional Ruler chanced on mother luck by successfully dethroning his predecessor like a matador, who goes into the ring, and the bull of stasis is taken out with his exertions.

With a reputation of five star military profile who has zero tolerance for corruption, became circumstantial love object of his subjects. So awe-inspiring was his personage that he became the toast of the drivers of the economy as well as the political class. He was virtually courted by all and sundry that his presence automatically added glamour to every social event.

He lived in a mansion akin to Abraham’s heavenly bosom which became a mecca of sorts because of the number of visitors that called daily to catch a glimpse of the architectural wonder. Callers at the inviting edifice have been known to marvel and kneel over in humility, in deference to its lavish treats. The interior boasts of state of the art fittings, that you could be forgiven for mistaking it for the fabled Atlantis.

He pulsated in glory and goodwill that his name reverberated in effusive decibels. He was celebrated in flattering superlatives that bards and songsters panegyrise his catch-phrase “ Change Has Come” in poetic voices and fulsome musical renderings.

The other king belonged to the much younger generation who steered the ship of a baby kingdom within the geography of the other kingdom. By implication, he was manning a smaller empire within the older king’s domain.

With a towering nomenclature for heart of magnanimity and philanthropy over the years especially to the less privileged, was unanimously zeroed in on by the kingmakers and the people to pilot the affairs of the smaller empire.

Renowned was his philanthropy that he unpretentiously made spirited efforts to touch up the lives of the downtrodden through scholarships and provision of vocational trainings. He operated free enterprise for the needy that the mention of his name brought life to many. His benevolence and large heartedness motored him to the headship of the kingdom. Like the older king, he also reigned with pomp and panache, wining and dining with massive goodwill.

The two kings were sworn friends and inseparable ally as they belonged to the same group and shared so many things in common. They were so influential that social butterflies and political gold diggers swarmed on them like bees to honey, doing their bidding and massaging their ego often to their benefits.

But no sooner than people expected, that everything great they enjoyed except their stool came crashing like pack of ill-arranged cards. They squandered their enormous goodwill with both the king makers and the people that they became objects of ridicule and media caricature.The political and social barometer that once rated them high, struggled to measure their downward decline. Lavally, they began to lose clientele like a smelly roadside restaurant.

The above illustrations, captures some brief interesting history and present reality of two Nigerian leaders; President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Rochas Okorocha (With all due respect to their positions) as their much mouthed goodwill, following and leadership integrity are gradually succumbing to the downward forces of gravity. Their policies and decisions are the most criticized at the moment and such negative onslaughts have been hugging the media lately.

They are both nepotic and clannish leaders with alarming records of populating their kingdoms with friends, associates and blood relatives. Merit is a scarce commodity in their market.

They have political history of confronting demons of their past, makes a lot of empty promises with little achievements to show for it.

While the latter tilts towards wasting the taxpayers hard earned monies on statues and monuments for vainglory, the former tends to recover massive funds from looters without a concrete evidence in terms of developmental spread across the divides.

While the former recently submitted to the amazement of Nigerians that fighting corruption is more tasking than fighting insurgency which is viewed in many quarters as brave acceptance of defeat to the much parroted anti-corruption war, the latter is corruption personified based on his strange leadership wasteful engagements.

Finally, both are foot dragging with the issue of security with the former’s loud silence on the activities of the fulani militia group harvesting souls on daily basis while the latter have skillfully and intentionally avoided speaking against this criminal activities going on in the country when he knows full well that his statement carries weight considering their closeness. They are obviously quarantined from the reality of the country’s situation by a group of persons that are giving them bad name.

After a careful study of their leadership similarities and relationships, I conclude truly that “ Birds of a feather flocks together”.

GOD BLESS YOU