Dear editor,
Corruption, you have been with us since time immemorial, and it is very unfortunate that us humans don’t respect you as we should, given that you were there with us from the very beginning. Corruption, they said you first came to us humans in the form of an apple. Remember when Hawa “made” Adama eat that apple against the orders of our Master? Adama tasted that apple and never looked back. It was the beginning of our journey with you Sir or Madam Corruption. Adama blamed Hawa and Hawa blamed the serpent. Poor serpent AKA Satan, is blamed for everything. I wonder how he (or is it a she) feels about being blamed for every doggone thing we choose to do wrong. Corruption, since that Apple incident, we have come to fear exposure and so we hide our naked ambitions disguised as goodwill.
Corruption, for us Africans, we hate to be associated with you in public even if we are not your only friends. Corruption, we cannot see you for the most part because you have managed to be a part of us and we are grateful for all the wealth and power you have helped us amass on our way to perdition. If it wasn’t for you, those in the service of the people will not have the people serving them in air-conditioned offices while the served subsist from hand to mouth!
My friend corruption, man has pledged to fight you ever since Adama and Hawa ate you in the form of that delicious apple, but we have failed to arrest you. Satan is on your side. Some say Man himself is inherently corrupt! I disagree. How else can you explain otherwise “good” men and women succumbing to the will of corruption and going from zero to mega rich in a few years? But Man blames power for what corrupts him. Man points fingers at others and calls them corrupt until Man gets a chance to be corrupt. Then Man changes his tone. He becomes your friend too and we wonder what happened. We seem to miss that Man was just biding his time and waiting for that inevitable moment to be your paramour too.
Corruption my beloved, you have destroyed nations, caused wars, and stood with Yahya Jammeh even as he compounded you with rape and killings. Corruption, you lived with terrible men who claim to be civil servants even if they cannot point to a single service they “civiled”. Corruption, you blessed this world with Trump, the Saudi leadership and the Yahya Jammeh government machinery still in operation to this day. Corruption, you blessed us with rich individuals who have no qualms about how to corruptly get rich! Corruption, everyone claims to hate you but is quick to embrace you when given the chance. Corruption, I entreat you not to listen to those speaking out against you. They are only jealous of the corrupt! Look at how they embrace their friends and family that you’ve penetrated severally.
Corruption, here and now, this day forth, by the sun that shines light on your deeds and the darkness under whose watch corrupt deals are struck, I offer my undiluted support to you and yours. I take thee, Corruption, to be my unlawful bosom friend, to have and to hold, for the discomfort of my life, in health or sickness, I pledge my fidelity to you. I hate you but I love you. I stand with and support corruption!
Alagie Saidy-Barrow
USA
