The Sunday News
Vincent Gono
GIRLS At War and other stories is a work of art by revered African writer Chinua Achebe of the Things Fall Apart fame. And for those that love literature, the book has an interesting story that relates well with the time that the country is fast approaching — the time for elections.
Elections are a time where power is transferred from the politician to the people, where the people wield so much power and where those that failed to keep the umbilical connection with the electorate are exposed. Those that have read the work of the famous and celebrated author can testify that his artistic work is at most timeless and at best prophetic.
In his story — The Voter, Achebe tells the story of Rufus Okeke who he calls Roof who was — to put it in modern political terminology — the campaign manager of an Umuofia village politician called Marcus Ibe who was the outgoing Minister of Culture under the servitude of the People’ Alliance Party (PAP).
As with all campaign managers Roof was in the service of Minister Ibe for the coming elections. He has become an expert in election campaigning at all levels who could tell the mood and temper of the electorate. Roof the author tells us he had told the minister months ago about the radical change that had come into the thinking of Umuofia since the last election five years ago.
The radical change was a result of villagers witnessing how quickly and plentifully politics brought wealth, chieftaincy titles, and other honours that have not been explained to them satisfactorily to the man they had voted for.
For in their naivety they expected a doctor to be able to heal the sick in their communities which was not happening with their Dr Ibe. Their anger and disappointment was that the honours and benefits had come so readily to a man whom they had given their votes for free five years ago and they were now ready to try it a different way.
Their point according to Achebe was that only the other day Marcus was a not so successful mission school teacher who lived frugally before politics had come to their village and he became a Chief Honourable while they have remained poor villagers.
He had acquired two long cars and had built himself the biggest house anyone had seen in that part of the country. Marcus Ibe, according to Achebe’s story however, remained devoted to his people. He would live the good things and the comfort of the capital and return to his village which had neither running water nor electricity although he had installed a private plant to supply electricity to his village house.
He had organised a big celebration to open his house where a number of bulls and countless goats were slaughtered and villagers had gallivanted in merry making feast while singing praise at Marcus. He would visit the village, but that was not enough to convince the villagers who did not take his success story as theirs. It was his and his family’s and yet it was a result of their votes which they had given for free.
Soon after the feasting the villagers told themselves that they had underrated the power of the ballot paper and would not do so again. Roof knew about the discontent and took word to Marcus who was however, not ill prepared.
He knew the terrain was fraught with obstacles and he had to call Roof for duty.
He gave him money to give it to the elders of the village but the elders were not ready to accept less. They told Roof that Marcus was no longer poor to deserve their vote for free.
“But today Marcus is a great man and does his things like a great man. We did not ask him for money yesterday, we shall not ask him tomorrow. But today is our day, we have climbed an iroko tree today and would be foolish not to take down all the firewood we need,” the elders of Umuofia exclaimed to Roof.
And Roof had lately been taking down a lot of firewood himself too and couldn’t deny the elders the little privileges they wanted. It was their time and Marcus had to dance to their tune or they will simply stop playing him their music. Such is the situation that the politicians find themselves in. Power will soon be taken away from them and placed in the hands of the masses again and they would have to grovel for the electorate’s vote again.
In fact it has already started and reports are that some parties vying for political offices have been involving the electorate financially. Money has been exchanging hands. But the issue to the clever ones is not about which party gives money but the amounts involved. The politicians are soon going to be turned into Achebe’s iroko tree and the masses will not be wrong to want to climb it and get as much firewood as possible.
And unlike Marcus Ibe the problem with some of our politicians is that they are all but too forgetful. They were given the mandate to represent the people in 2013 but some have been absent in their constituencies completely and will only want to feature now.
Some went to the capital and never returned. Some have never said a thing in Parliament ever since they were elected. They went in to sit and warm the benches. Yes, we have a number of MPs who have not said a thing in Parliament, even coughing, let alone spearheading development projects in their areas. But the electorate is not very stupid and their time is now.
They will not vote for laggards, even those that bask in the comfort of fat wallets. The electorate is capable of making it very flat and still not vote for them that do not represent their interest, who like Marcus use the vote to enrich themselves at the expense of development.
They look at the long time benefits for them and they know money is an immediate benefit. It is also unfortunate to parties that usually capitalise on the economic situation that has in the previous years made people go and vote with stomachs that it is a bit different this year owing to the bountiful harvest, they will go with their brains as well.
Although there have been efforts to pull the economic strings and tighten them around the electorate to achieve a protest vote, people are no longer helter-skelter creatures like rats that are continuously fed in the same poison-laced feeding troughs.
The story of Achebe goes on to say that Marcus’ trusted lieutenant Roof later received some pounds from the opposition party against the few shillings that he had been given by Marcus. He could not resist the temptation but to swear that he will not vote for his long time paymaster.
And all alone in the ballot box he felt guilty for both and became undecided. He spoiled the ballot paper and threw whatever change or promised development that was going to come in the bin.
It is in this context that when the time comes, people should be wise and know that money can buy votes yes, but it will never buy development. That it needs more than money to move the country forward, it needs the brains and a connection with the grassroots for one to appreciate the needs of the communities.
It’s time for the electorate not only to climb the iroko tree and get as much firewood as possible but to expose and teach political laggards a practical lesson by not voting them into political offices again.
