I Belong to Everybody and to Nobody

Once upon a time in a village lived a notorious thief who was not only a terror to the villagers but to other thieves in and around the village. His colleagues got to the point they could no longer put up with him as his notoriety was seriously affecting their business.
His rampaging escapades had forced their neigbours to increase surveillance thereby frustrating operations and free movement of other petty thieves. When they could no longer endure, the thieves conspired against him, leaked his secrets and had him turned up to the police. He was subsequently charged and convicted to serve a 3-year jail term. His incarceration was a relief for other thieves as they got leeway to operate. Unfortunately, the honey moon didn’t lastlong as the notorious thief was soon to finish his jail term.
He came back to village with a Bible always under his armpit but with a heart burning with determination to avenge the betrayers. He offered to help village vigilante in frustrating the activities of other thieves. His help paid off as many thieves were apprehended with his tactics. Before the police, the thieves pleaded for mercy insisting that they were betrayed by the ex-convict.
When asked how they were faring withthe ex-convict-collaborator in their midst, the leader of the village vigilante said: “the enemy of our enemies is not our friend, he is simply an ally.” Commitment to restoration of sanity in our polity from time to time hosts different faces but true advocates remain. Owing to our political terrain, there are in our country people who are not genuine in the fight to liberate our society from power drunk who are determined to ruin the future our children. They become advocates the very moment they lose power and become antagonistic the moment they gain it back.
Like I say always, in every election, losers outnumber winners; and satisfying emotional balance of a loser is surely not an easy job. This is one of the reasons I pity winners of any elections. Even when the opposition camps collapse into the ruling party, they nurse ill feeling against them. It is the reason why it takes long for the wound of political loss to be properly lacerated. The first emotional reaction of one who has fallen out of power is to take refuge in already existing advocacy structure for true democracy.  That is why some politicians who ruined this country have suddenly transposed and transformed to advocates. One of the sorrows of men is power. Beside death, the worst tragedy is to taste power and lose it afterwards. Going out of power alignment is like being hungry in a dream and your neigbour waking you up at that very momentfood is served to you. People who have tasted power and lost it go forever with deformed emotion.
They never find life fulfilling until they have it back or play second fiddle just to have something close to power. Power is good when you read the Biblical story of the Centurion or when used prudently. With power one commands another to go there and one goes, to do this and one does it. But power is a cancer; it does not leave its victim until it kills or amputates him.  Power is like a bottle of cold whisky.
You take the first sip you enjoy it; you take the second you enjoy it. You go for the third but the bottle is empty and you are already feeling high. You are drunk, you are an addict and you have no more wine. Power leaves one when one has become anaddict without satisfying one. That is why after every election there are realignments in Nigeria.
Losing power can force people to look for emotional compensation in places they never sought it before. If you doubt me, ask Oby Ezekwesili how she now enjoys anti-Buhari pagesafter it became obvious that she is not useful to Buhari. It is personalities like her who tends to blur true advocates as power seekers. Yet, true advocacy is not personal interest serving. Governance ought to be above personal interest; it is for common good. From a personal electronic dairy, I have noticed an alignment in friendship after every election or appointment.
Take the last election for an example; go through my pages in the social media and take cognizance of my former friends. Take time to read comments against former regime on my wall and you will realize what I mean.
Together we were active in our watchdog advocacy. We were less inclined as always to praising government where they were doing well. With constructive criticisms, we were pointing out government’s mistakes with warning of their likely implications. Whether our advocacy was heeded to by the former government is a matter of another day. But I wrote many dangerous articles then and at different fora of government said things one wouldn’t say before a regime and go free but I was never accused of working for any group. That is maturity.
We were determined in our little way to push Ebonyi forward because we believed in Ebonyi prosperity. As soon as camp got divided I had to walk through tight rope as atrocities were committed in the name of campaign. Some former friends became antagonistic; others who would like to be diplomatic became dumb overnight.
They would look at you as if their wives are missing and you know their whereabouts. Does it sound funny when Dragnet is accused of working for an opposition as if we have an opposition in Nigeria today or Dragnet was born last year? How many times have you heard that Dragnet hates state government?
Is Dragnet really working for an opposition? Yes, anything that opposes falsehoodis an opposition. The hungry have no religion and no ethnicity; what they want is food. As long as hunger exists, and deceits are planned, Dragnet remains in opposition. Our style has never changed. They are in print and online for verification.
We commend when there is need andpoint out mistakes without castigation of personalities. It is not about leaders alone, masses bear the brunt when they fail to do the needful. In years of anchoring Dragnet, I have seen a lot and there are still difficult terrains ahead.
The most painful is knowing that your friends stop loving you because you stand up against falsehood they love. The sweetest also has been gaining new friends especially someonelike you reading Dragnet today. Whenever government makes an appointment, Dragnet loses friends directly or indirectly.
Their first reaction is to remain silent. Next, they make stupid post of government activity without personal comments.
Afterwards, they begin praising the government. Finally, they start attack Dragnet through inbox, perhaps for public fear.
Truth has no permanent friends. Whenever truth loses a friend, there are always 20 out there waiting to take their spaces. Anyone in doubt needs to check the population of Catholic Church.
Criticized from all ages but most populated at all times. Does a thief become less guilty because heis turned up to the police by fellow thieves? No way! A thief must first confess to his crimes then he can indict others if he wishes. What the police needs is only vigilance and prosecution of all. Our advocacy for decency is no respecter of regime or person as some are inclined to think.
Dedicated advocates outlive every regime and clash with any system that is in opposition to common good. True advocacy is dedicated on the preposition that we are created equal by God and we desire equal treatment since nothing is correct until it is right. Displaced politicians may always seek emotional refuge in a particular advocate but like the leader of the vigilante in our story said, the enemies of our enemies are not our friends but allies.
And like the old man of Daura descent might have plagiarized from some where , ‘I belong to everybody and to nobody.’