SNITCHES, TRAITORS AND TYRANTS AMONG POLITICIANS

Every man is said to be a political animal because there is no aspect of human life or endeavour that is devoid of politics. In households, in educational institutions, in the churches and mosques in social cum business organizations, politics is played. Even in government, politics is much more prominent because it is all about power. It is about partisan politics which gives power to control the resources and common wealth of all citizens within a geographical entity. It has to do with enormous responsibility and authority, the mandate that, under normal circumstances, should be delegated by the citizens to the politicians, but in bizarre and atrocious situations, are stolen and misappropriated.
Power is extremely attractive and elevator, especially to the selfish politician of inordinate ambition. Therefore, it is usually convenient for many politicians to be known and referred to as professional politicians, regardless of the ambiguity in the name.
Some people have more lucrative professions outside politics; but having distinguished themselves sufficiently to become notable politicians (not necessarily good leaders) it is convenient for them to go back to their former professions if things go awry in politics. Nonetheless, because such people never quit politics, addicted as they are to its nectar, even though they also practice their old professions, they are also called professional politicians, but not quite like the self-styled professionals. The self-styled professional politicians are in politics because, otherwise, they would be jobless as they are unemployable away from politics. To them, it is the means to attain El Dorado. They are after fabulous wealth, working as hangers-on, snitches, traitors and jobbers, collaborating with tyrants, many of whom are in the class of the politicians of dual or multiple professions. A self-styled professional politician may have some, or little or no education. Some of them with little, or no education and a bit of eloquence, parade as experts, all knowing, in all fields of human endeavour. They are wiseacres.
Without education, the professional politicians are mostly thugs, hoodlums and hunting dogs, that, depending on the whims and caprices of their owners, are unleashed against opponents and perceived enemies, by the tyrants, who themselves, are ever in quest of political power, invariably with blood money. Many of the ferocious hounds, thugs and hoodlums were motor park touts, agberos, elevated to offices of trust to spite or checkmate opponents. They are also self-styled professional politicians sustained by a system that grows and nurtures them, not because as El Dorado seekers they truly belong to the political class, not because they are experts, as in legal, medical, etc professions, but because they simply earn their living in political activities. They do dirty jobs which have earned politics the name: a dirty game. And the notable politicians enjoy and play the dirty game along and are even worse.
Ironically, there have been cases of these professional politicians who, though started as political godsons, rebelled against their (alleged) tyrannical godfathers, all in the quest of power and political ascendancy. Here is an instance of the numerous cases of snitching and subsequent treachery among the notorious, professional politicians:
As a result of the intense disagreement and rivalry among political leaders in his local government area, Jim of a political party faction outside his Local Government Area, became the LGA chairman of a ruling party. Jim, from the first day of his inauguration, did not allow the old (returned) L.G.A party secretary to function. He decided to work with the Assistant Secretary, who was his Personal Assistant (PA) and of the same external faction with him. It could not be otherwise, as Jim, an illiterate and a relatively successful businessman of dubious integrity, found in Edok, the snitch and jobber he needed to uphold his tyrannical inclination. More so, as Edok had the prerequisite evil nature, intelligence and practised eloquence and glitz suitable for the description of his job.
Much later, Jim realized that Edok’s trait as a snitch was not limited to getting information and using it to write petitions and frame people. Edok was also a thief, a forger and a traitor and boisterously deployed the traits against Jim, his benefactor, who did not spare any cost to groom and provide for Edok, even sponsoring his (Edok’s) marriage early in their relationship. After about seven years, the relationship became strained and ended in litigation. During the 7 years, Edok had risen to the position of opposition party chairman in his L.G.A while his boss became a Senatorial Chairman in the same party. They had connived and messed up in the ruling party. So much so, that they were fugitives for quite some time. It was while they were on the run for their misdeeds in the ruling party that Jim realized Edok was a remorseless scoundrel. The crux of their litigation was that Edok allegedly committed fraud against Jim by forging Jim’s signature to withdraw various sums, to the tune of over N1 million.
Apart from the allegations of stealing, forgery, fraud and treachery, Jim also accused Edok of poisoning him. That was before he eventually died of a terminal disease. However, Edok has since moved on as a professional politician, after Jim’s death of course, having hooked on to other benefactors who are said to be apparently striving to use him as Jim had tried to do.
In the light of the foregoing, the question is: between Jim and Edok, who used who? There are two other vital questions: (1) Can a snitch forsake evil, especially in politics? (2) If truly a leopard cannot shed it spots, what does Edok’s snitching and treachery portend for his party, Nigeria’s democracy and the polity?
Compatriots, we should beware of snitches, traitors and tyrants!