CHICKEN REPUBLIC

‘Freedom is not free’ screamed into my face when I turned to see who had tapped me on the shoulder from behind disrupting the vigorous punching of my ‘cellie’s’ keypads. I had already whipped up my cocktail at the local boozer, a rendezvous point with another mate to cool our throats after a rather tumultuous week of honest labour see? Since my mate was running late, I had taken the liberty to start the swigging hostilities. The bloke who did the taping, a cousin of mine whom I hadn’t seen in a while but shared the same neighbourhood was donning the ‘traffic yellow’ t-shirt with the aforementioned statement emblazoned in black paint. Paradoxically, and in some weird paradoxical telepathy, the news blaring out of the stereo in the boozer was of current developments of an incident a couple of days earlier.
A certain ‘Kwadwo Dont Suro’, a political party activist cum ‘self professed political commentator’ had been whisked away in the middle of a radio show, briskly processed and plunked before a court of law right here in the capital. This begs the question, or rather a couple of serious ones! I will get to the question(s) but what was ‘Kwadwo Dont Suro’s’ crime? ‘Inciting public unrest’ or some Latin variant of a charge plucked from ‘the people’s prosecutor’s’ leather bound, weather beaten charge manuscripts. Frankly, I didn’t give a flaming-fudge about Kwadwo Dont Suro’s predicament but my mind was drawn to questions in the light of his supposed ‘anarchical’ pronouncements and the events thereafter. This country IS a Republic no? Do we practice the Democracy we tout ourselves to be peerless at? Errm...ermm... [Yes, no, maybe so – apply as appropriate].
The last time I glanced at the explanations of these seemingly virtuous words, their meanings, how they came about and how, as it were, they were to be practiced read somewhat so; A Republic, from the Latin phrase ‘res republica’ loosely translated as ‘public affair’ is a form of government in which the Head of State is not a Monarch and its people (or at least a part of its people) have an impact on its government, legitimated by a constitution (or popular suffrage, civic virtue)composed on an ideology. The idea first emerged in the renaissance writings and discourses of Italian scholars notably a certain Nicollo Machiavelli (a divinely devious ‘political’ scholar) and Leonardo Bruni. On the other hand, the Greeks in classical swash-buckling pomposity all but kick-started Democracy (and conquered a sumptuous chunk of the earth’s crust thus spreading the empire’s cancerous tentacles). From Greek lingua, ‘demos’ – people, ‘kratos’ – power, or ‘demo kratia’ – rule of the people. This ‘fine’ form of political governance emerged by means of elected representatives of the people, or directly by the people. Two key principles enshrined and emphasised in a democracy is ‘Equality before the Law of the land and freedom’. These principles have passed through various forges with tinkering here and there over the centuries, refined and customised to suit sovereign states that allure to it. Such a state is our dear motherland, but I dare say, we have tinkered and continue to tinker with our governance way to often like the ‘devil’ quoting scripture to suit his devious misdemeanours you ‘ger me rai yeah’?.
Kwadwo Dont Suro’s supersonic arrest, lightening bolt arraignment before a ‘competent’ court of law and the haste within which his case was heard, denied bail and a ‘mat-booked’ in the state slammer for a few days’ respite from political activism and commentating raises more than my sparse and shaggy eyebrows. Are we nearing Ol’ Major’s version of democracy where some are more equal than others or less equal eh? So much for ‘Habeas Corpus’ eh? Kwadwo Dont Suro’s ‘informed’ view that the residence of ‘Todia Jato’ which got consumed by ‘brimstone and white phosphorous’ and raised to a heap of smouldering ashes, was an act of arson craftily executed with ‘military precision’ by ‘Todia’ himself see? Coupled with the fact that, the seat of administration of the ‘Service’ sanctioned with ‘quenching the thirsts’ of ravenous infernos and saving lives and property was less or about a five minute drive away.
A logical-freethinker’s opinion will not necessarily warrant the haste with which ‘Kwadwo Dont Suro’ was dealt with after his pronouncements. The media, electronic more than print, nearly chocked us with expert analysis and commentary on Kwadwo Dont Suro’s predicament. Some more than others because Kwadwo Dont Suro hails from the other side of the political divide ‘ger me rai yeah’? So I asked, can we no longer think out loud by exercising the freedoms granted by the constitution we subscribe to without political vendettas of some sort and misconstrued revenge rearing its ugly head? Without fisticuffs exchanged and the legislature boycotted by the minority? Of course fuelled by the fact that one subscribes to one political ideology or the other? If the Law is molested by the concierge tasked to manage it for a predetermined duration, I daresay it makes nonsense of the ‘Demo –Kratia’ we hold dear. The backlash to this question was, should irresponsible unguarded statements be accepted and the said perpetrators of such ‘potentially dangerous blabber’ allowed strutting about with pomp beating their chest and not account for their lethal rants and taunts? My answer is an emphatic NO, but we know damn well the rampant nature in which our brand of democracy is saddled and pork-marked with defamation, mud-slinging, verbal sparring and the invocation of deities! I say ma mehn, a pure breed Dalmatian has far fewer spots!
Here is what I thought should have happened to Kwadwo Dont Suro; the bloke was privy to some ‘classified clandestine info’ and should have been invited by the investigating arms of the security apparatus, made to liaise with them, explaining into forensic and surgical detail as to how he came about this conclusion of fire gutting state property. Yes, state property. ‘Todia Jato’ resides (or resided) in state property. If Kwadwo Dont Suro’s arson ‘intel’ was heard, dissected and proven to be accurate or otherwise, then the law and due process would reel him in. A charge of misdemeanour or defamation would have been more than appropriate not the aggrandised variant that saw him spotting state jewellery on his cuffs for a few days on remand. Is this a sound out to all positive freethinkers and blabbers to shackle their gobs? Is this ‘Coach Attah’ led administration shoving corks down our throats to stifle our opinions? Chitchat making the rounds and banter between people who claim to have ‘highly placed and impeccable sources’ in the upper echelons of the ruling government say, among other things, that the good ‘Tax Don’ is not ‘large and in charge’ as it may seem but a mere ‘marionette’ with ventriloquist(s) dictating his every move! Others say there is an ‘Oligarch’ or a ‘Cabal of Powers’ punching buttons in unseen shadows.
Sooner, rather than later, we may be ‘clucking’ our opinions for fear of ‘rapid escorts’ to the gaoler’s beehive. It will be the new cryptic code for communication to avoid arrest and subsequent arraignment before a ‘Fast-Fast Track Court’ see? Don’t act surprised if the vigorous expression of opinions by celebrity ‘SocioMoraPoliticoEconoReligious’ commentators on our various frequency modulations we have grown accustomed to, dwindles and degenerates to incessant inaudible clucking for fear of ones backside changing abodes. All the gusto of morning talk shows will evaporate I tell you. I can just imagine how mundane the airwaves will be with all the clucking, it will sound like listening in to a military radio frequency in peace time transmitting form a commandeered poultry farm turned garrison. The fearless ones will remain unperturbed though, I can mention a certain Messieurs P. Sunday and A. M One Wednesday, hardened, battle-scared and weather –beaten, been-there, seen-that [add or delete as appropriate] won’t give a tick’s behind and will blab-out-loud with monstrous ferocity! Me, I’ll be here, lounging, spewing my thoughts onto ink (if it will ever get there) or on any media I deem appropriate. One can only hazard a name for such a republic. I’ll say nowt more than a Chicken-Republic from the bottom up!