SundayStarter: In Saint-Momo Chapter 24
by ahjotnaija
Hand-in-pocket: Oluwaseun Tanimomo of TPoM
He said, to what shall we compare the kingdom of Naija? We shall compare it to a man who prefereth to be robbed by Shina Rambo than a pickpocket. Or to a people who light their candles and hideth it under a bushel. Another parable put he forth to them saying:
”A certain wicked husbandman who had plundered the riches of his farms set forth on a journey to his land. And seeing that he had plundered enough to build his country, he set forth and gave to his stewards talents. To one he gave two talents, to another he gave one. And to many others, he gave none.
And when the time of the season came for the husbandman to go, he sayeth within himself, ‘for a long time I have been on these farms and I have kept my servants and stewards under; lest they come together and ask of the years I spent here, I will bring them together as one kingdom and give power to them who do not want me to leave. And whence the time comest for them to move forward that they will rise amongst themselves and see that they are different.’
And it was so that the wicked husbandman bringeth together his many farms and maketh one of them from them who wantest not that he leave king. So it came to pass that soldier come soldier go and these things be as the certain rich wicked husbandman thought them.
And the king and the rulers of the many farms of the kingdom were happy for they had many occasions to steal them dry. And the rulers caused great strife and division amongst them for the people of the kingdom looked amongst themselves and sayeth they which plant groundnut are not like us for they kneel down whilst praying.
And those who planted groundnut say, look those who plant the palm and cocoa do not look like us for they pray whilst standing and some of them do not believe in anything; of a truth they do not believe in our God.
And the rulers even did more to keep them under for when the time was to anoint a new king that the old king, the scribe and the Levites gave talents of sorghum, of rice to the people. The rulers said amongst themselves, ‘dost the stomach which needeth food reasoneth well? For now, we will keep them hungry that their stomachs shall dictate to them whom they anoint king.’ And they did this.
It came to pass that the booty of the kingdom was so much and greed grew in the minds of the rulers of the people and they became wise in their own ways that they sought to take it all and struggled amongst themselves and sent men of the night after one another and great was the death that followed their greeds.
And when the deaths were too much that they so feared the palace, that the eldest of the rulers of the people thought and said, ‘come let us reason amongst ourselves. Why struggleth we amongst ourselves, for we all are thieves and we have no good to do to the people than to steal all that they have. For we are brothers.
Thou knowest I pray whilst standing, let me go mine way and some will follow, peradventure many others willst be well gullible to follow and then I become king. Then the gold and silver of the temple, the building of the house I will give to you mine other brother-thieves who winnest not. And if it be that thou winnest, thou shall do same’. They reasoned these things amongst themselves and saw that it was good.
Then it came to pass that the people of the kingdom saw that their king was a wicked king and a hard man reaping where he hath not sown, and gathering where he hath not strewn and the people of the farms could take it no longer. So they reasoned amongst themselves, saying, come, ‘thou knowest that these rulers suposseth our servants be, seesth thou as they entreat us like bondservants’
Then, they came together and reasoned amongst themselves for they planned to take power from the rulers of the people. And they said, ‘after we may have fought and won, lest a similar fate as it is now befalleth us lest our last state be worse than the first. So, come let us make laws in our own image after our own likeness and these laws shall have dominion over our money in the treasury, over the security of our land and over everything that concerneth us.’ And they made laws in their own image and after their likeness and they say that it was good.
And it came to pass that when the day of reckoning was nigh, when servants gave account of their deeds in high places that the people come together and blindeth the king and the rulers of the people, and sayeth unto them, ‘thou unfaithful servants, you have been unfaithful in all that has been given unto you, enter ye all into the dungeon prepared for you where there shall be mourning and gnashing of teeth.’
Thereupon, the people dwelt safely and prospered for every man had a vine. This prosperity of the people of the kingdom, and how they built mighty things, and how knowledge flourished, are they not written in books of the chronicles of the king?
ajagunna 