NATIONS IN FLAMES
The greatest fear of world leaders/rulers today is nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorist’. But, to my mind, there is something worse than that; a more dangerous weapon! And what is more than terrible, that weapon is cheap and readily available – FIRE!
I don’t remember counting on all the fingers of my one hand the number of fires in public or semi-public edifices all my life as a student. I do remember that arson was a very serious offense, and so still is, if only theoretically…
Several decades ago, however, embezzlers of public funds began to set fire to public offices in a bid to efface evidence. As this apparently received the tacit approval of our leaders/rulers, fire soon became a weapon against enemies, real or presumed: “enemy” shops were consumed by fire; markets; even dwelling houses. On every such occasion, even before a commission of inquiry was set up, there was already an official explanation, blaming it all on “court circuit” – (short circuit). And from the way it all went, the commission of inquiry was set up more with the ulterior motive of getting per diem rather than for fact-finding: in the search for answers. Is not it true that we are still to get the findings of any one of such inquiries?
We have since ended up with courts of law razed to the ground with little apprehension of any consequences. A vivid example is the burning down of the first/oldest Southern Cameroons’ Magistrate Court of Victoria with all its rich judicial archives! In the ensuing widespread game of theatrical comedy, even the structure of legal archives that the National Assembly is was not spared. Over the years, the yearly fire disaster caused by “short circuit” was on the fifth floor that handled/kept financial matters/records. To break with the yearly monopoly and destroy possible pointers; and to shield intentional acts in a desperate cover-up, the latest fire engulfed four floors, including the famous fifth floor…
Criminal fires have all ended up wholly generalized. It has all ended up a national art, and an official weapon of war. Logically, in respect of the ongoing war, perpetrators of such acts have been hailed without fail for their efficient professionalism. Nothing can be more DANGEROUS; nothing more potentially DESTRUCTIVE!
Verily I say unto you. The lessons have been imbibed and stored in the subconscious. With such unlawful abolition of the law on arson/criminal fires for expediency, the citizenry shall take over the game and play it to the full, to the detriment of all and sundry!
Imagine, for instance, that 5% of Camerouoonianese start one million fires a year! Not even an infant can minimize the astronomical cost! The sad truth is that the rich/oppressors of today have set millions of fires in our days that will catch tomorrow and grow into highly expensive conflagrations. In short, it shall be a nation in total flames!
Mark you! You use your wealth and/or power today to expropriate without compensation the poor/weak from the land they have possessed in quiet enjoyment continuously for fifty years. You go ahead, build and leave behind mansions. There is a very high probability that everything will be reduced to ashes by the cheapest spark in future.
You use fire as your military might to render homeless innocent infants/children today. That is the age when the brain is virgin and gets inextricable engraved such marked occurrences. The survivors will have been taught the ease with which cheap fire can do them justice! And if the state that is already so powerful so does avail itself, then, why not the poor/weak individual?
Verily I say unto you again. Any nation using fire as a weapon against others today, let alone, against its own citizens, has reduced itself into a ball of fire tomorrow. Any such nation has started the journey of no return to becoming a branch of HELL here on earth, in the near future!
HELLISH IRRESPOSIBILITY!
KACHOR IDAH!
AYAH ABINE
First Published,
August 27, 2018
