Between Benevolence And Criminality

Benevolence is a virtue
that is commonly misunderstood. And the disparity and artificiality in our sense of existence makes the notion even more complex in interpretation.
In a society like ours where “determinate common inferious are bound to be subservient to determinate common superious”,it becomes difficult to discern those who are genuinely or naturally inclined to giving from those who give to massage their ego, or those who give as a condition to escape the reverbrative effects of the deeds or misdeeds, or still those who dole out as a mark of rebellion against society, as exemplified by a notorious bandit, the late Lawrence Anini. Anini the law, as he was popularly called was seen as a benevolent criminal as he mostly shared his spoils at market places to the hoipolois, while unleashing terrors on the police and the big and mighty. He was applauded by his down trodden beneficiaries, while he became a thorn in the flesh of his victims. These transpired before he met his waterloo.
Recently, Anini resurrected in the name of Kelvin, a notorious kidnap kingpin and bandit from kokori in Ethiope Local Government Area of Delta State.
Kelvin who was recently apprehended by the security agencies, was reported to be a criminal with a “benevolent spirit” who enjoyed the tacit acceptance and support of his beneficiaries mostly from his native home town, like the mother of a bad child, the community shelved Kelvins excesses, and so when the bogey man dared the Federal Government by giving a 60 days ultimatum to give a facelift to his community, he got the nod of most of this people. Kelvin was also reported to have promised his community an oil windfall. The Kelvin story is a metaphor of the Nigeria State, where scoundrels are celebrated by their kith and kin with obvious disregard over their means of livelihood. There are many of the likes of Kelvin who pay sumptuous tithes to churches, and dole out exotic cars as presents to clerics to get their nod.
Benevolence as a virtue has been abused as a means of hood winking the gullible public towards the endorsement of organized crime as a legitimate way of life. But as an American scholar once said; “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”.
Criminality is not however defined by the ways of the guns alone. There are those involved in institutionalized theft and executive brigandage. Those trusted with tax payers money, but swear by their pockets to improverish the people they are supposed to cater for. They dispense services to the people only on the note of showing them favours and not as a sense of responsibility.
In the real sense of it, philanthropy or benevolence, should not be seen as a measure of obviating the inevitable consequences of our actions or inactions. Nigerians are a people that tend to orbit independently of supernatural sense of direction, and as such gloss over retributive justice, and seek artificial atonement for their sacrileges against humanity.
They judge success by the number of houses, cars owned by an individual regardless of what one does for a living. They make cult heroes of rogues and criminals, who brandish excessive wealth and flaunt such wealth publicly.
Giving is not a bad thing, but the motive behind giving is more important. There are those who give conscientiously, like the proverbial widow that got the recognition of Jesus and secured a place in history. The real sense of philanthropy or benevolence should be displayed in form of human fellowship without any iota of hypocrisy.
Also the Kelvin story is indicative of the frustration among oil communities, who are mostly in a no- win situation in the politics of oil. Most oil communities are consigned to fate and has militancy as an option of rousing the insensitivity of the powers that be. The Petroleum Industry Bill, (PIB), is expected to do justice to this issue, by properly addressing the contentious clause on royalty to oil bearing communities. This will give them a sense of belonging, and stop them from living at the mercy of self imposed leaders, whose only pedigree is to have wielded the instrument of violence, while genuine leaders and interest group that should speak for them act as under dogs.

Taneh Beemene