What did your father tell you?

                               WHAT DID YOUR FATHER TELL YOU?

All of us had fathers and some of us are chips of the old block. And our fathers and mothers as well are our first image of God we know as we grow they become our heroes some fathers ultimately become superheroes and gods no matter their humble background and circumstances. Such was my father who passed on over twenty fours ago. I know that as you read this your father was and is your superhero.

It is also true that our fathers tell us so many things without minding whether we comprehend or not, but they do it with hope that one day we will remember their words and do something with it. And this is one of the main reason they do all they can to send us to school to acquire the skill to remember. I know you love your father like I do. And those of you whose fathers are still in this mortal live should do everything to make their fathers tell them something. And if you’re a father reading this piece tell your children something for it will guide them the rest of their life. 

There is a book of memories in each of us  occupied to a greater percent by the stories our parents told us. Last September, I took a long walk across my rural town to the place of my elderly uncle in his humble home, luckily, I met him at home, he is over eighty years of age. I remember things my father told me and wanted to here tales from an old folk and I heard some as he did not disappoint.  Thank you uncle Amos.

Like I said earlier my father told me and my siblings a lot of things and our mothers amplified them to our understanding. These folks cannot read and write in western manner but were embodiment of knowledge and wisdom. And I have in the cause of my training as a lawyer being taught these same things in the books of western scholars. That only proofs to me that Almighty God loves all of His children. Truth, fairness and the attributes of honesty and integrity are as old as our fathers. Today these characters and attributes are embedded in the modern concepts of Justice, Equity, rights and freedom. My father told me in many forms and patterns including by body language and practical example in over a hundred years of his mortal life that I paraphrase thus:  ‘if you tell the truth you will always be in trouble because you will be hated, but that should not make one to change’. These truth I have read in the holy bible and other holy scripts, these truths I have read in latter life in fictions and non fiction texts. Today we all are experiencing it in real life all around us.

I most admit that of the many things my father told me this is glaringly happening daily and I have being a victim of it time over and over. But because father said ‘… That should not make one to change’ I believe my father that that is true because it will amount to a betrayal to change from following the truth and in fact it will be dishonesty to know the truth and do the wrong thing, then what will I tell my children? and if I have the courage to tell them somethings how will I feel if they betray the trust?. We should know people tells something if they trust us. And our fathers trust us and tell us somethings because they want us to remember them.

One thing that is true about what our parents tell us particularly, our fathers, they come as catechism, that is in question and answer, so do not be surprise that I ask numerous questions in my write ups, remember, I am a chip of the old block, but not a chip from the old block from the  Berlin Wall that fell 25 years ago by tomorrow November 9. 

Read this catechism between a Government Officer and his subordinate who is also his contractor having awarded a major contract worth billions. This contractor does not have a spade or digger in fact he does not have any knowledge about road construction but has been awarded this huge contract from his master. Definitely the motive of both men was to embezzle public fund. And as is characteristic of this kind of deal, things fell apart and their relationship went swore. Also as is normal of this kind of nocturnal relationship they share evil secrets. They muted the issue until it is time for the public officer to handover his position and the contractor wanted to take over from the public officer, here them, from private discussion to TV arena:

Public officer: A thief cannot takeover from me!

Contractor: who is the thief here?

Public officer: you know you stole the billions made for the road construction?

Contractor: Then you most be corrupt for not arresting me all these while…

Public officer: you know that stealing is different from corruption?

The discussion ended abruptly because each party have to go back and research to sharpen their arguments to justify stealing and corruption of public fund. But not long they return in public glare over the money on different platforms.

Public officer ( in a political campaign): A thief cannot take over from me!

Crowd: yes, he is a thief.

Public officer: I have worked with him ( contractor) I have his data.

Crowd: Take him to the Anti-corruption agencies.

Public officer: The Anti-corruption agencies have stopped working these days.

The public officer went to a sponsored TV talk show:

Public officer: All these people who want to takeover from me are all thieves like their masters at the central Government.

TV Presenter: But you are a public officer and have the power to recover these public fund from the contractor?

Public officer: But you know, the police has being taken from me, the Anti - corruption agencies     in this country is not working these days, in fact the Army, Air force and the Navy have being taken from me even Boys scouts I do not control?

TV Presenter: Huuuum, how come you are not in good terms with the police, Army, Navy,

                         Air force and the anti-corruption agencies, even the Boys scouts?

Public officer: Is that question for me?

TV Presenter: Just musing… Sir.

The TV station to present all view and all side all the time, invited the Contractor.

TV Presenter: There is this accusation that you stole public fund made for road construction.

Contractor: Does a thief walk about free?

TV Presenter: I wonder, but anything can happen in this country...

Contractor: In this country there are Procurement Law, in this country there are tender processes before award of contract and other relevant laws. And it is corruption not to comply to this laws.

TV Presenter: Are you saying their was no compliance to these laws before ….. 

Contractor: (cuts in): I was not awarded any contract in the eyes of the law. By the way if there was a contract while has the Public officer not sued me for breach of contract? If the Anti Corruption agencies have closed their doors against him, the Police is against him and the armed forces, what happens to the Chief Law officer whom the constitution of this country empowers to initiate charges against any persons. That Public officer is corrupt.

TV Presenter: What about the money?

Contractor: Is the question for me?

TV Presenter: Huuuum! Just gazing, sir.

At the end of the talk show the TV Presenter wisely asked, who is the thief and who is corrupt from our story?

I know your father told you that there three things that destroys a man, Power, riches and fame. My father told me that too and I read the three types of temptations of Jesus Christ by the devil after his baptism by John the Baptist and he went into fasting and prayer for forty days and forty nights at the end of the fasting the bible records that Jesus Christ was tempted thrice by the devil on these three themes: Power, Wealth and Fame. And the Christ overcame the devil who rules the world with a phrase, “get ye behind me satan for thy shall not tempt The Lord thy God”. It was a command, and the father of all lies, the miserable satan obeyed. So my father was right and I know that our fathers today are right because I have not heard of a father who lies to his children.

Remember what your father told you.

By Ike Ake Esq.