A Legend of the Dead

Chapter Twenty-Five

225 A Legend of the Dead: Sequel to The Crown of Thorns Chapter Twenty-Five Quem Deus perdere vult, dementat prius. (Anonymous) ON HIS return to Small Monje Beckongncho summoned a meeting of his Chief Elders where he told them the move he had just taken in order to allow himself enough time to concentrate freely on affairs of the tribe and throne. The old men praised and thanked him and later that same evening they all went to the shrine where a special thanksgiving prayer was offered to Akeukeuor. His letter of resignation was submitted on Saturday February 14th . He returned to Small Monje on Monday, February 16th , the day he met his Elders and offered the prayer. On Tuesday February 17th , he went to his office where he summoned a meeting of his junior and senior staff and informed them of his resignation. He handed over the running of the district to his first Assistance SDO, pending the appointment of a successor from the ministry. He had therefore not kept his word to the Minister. Nobody knew how to react to his resignation because it had never been heard of before. Not that he looked like a man who could not do such a thing. Quite the contrary. One of the chief clerks remarked that of late he had noticed that Beckongncho hated his job very much. On Thursday February 19th he was informed that a new SDO had been chosen to replace him, and that the official handing over ceremony would take place on Saturday February 21st . He was also given a copy of the programme, which he studied carefully: 8.00 am The Provincial District Heads and Sub-District Officers arrive Senior District Office. 9.00.a.m Arrival of Paramount and Sub-Chiefs 9.300 am Arrival of New SDO and Commissioner of Police 226 Linus T. Asong 10.00 am Arrival of Secretary General in Ministry of Territorial Administration. Singing of National Anthem. Official opening of ceremony Speech of secretary General Speech of In-coming SDO Speech of Out-gong SDO HANDING OVER CLOSING REMARKS- by S.G ENTERTAINMENT. “Where do I come in here?” Beckongncho inquired. “Second item on the programme,” the Chief of protocol told him. “Under Paramount Chiefs and Sub-Chiefs. Any problem?” “The problem is that when the Paramount Chief comes in, nobody else is supposed to arrive,” he said with insolent pride. Trapped in his own decision, Beckongncho had come to detest anything and anybody that had something to do with the administration of the country. “What!” “Yes, I come last.” “That is you want to come after the Secretary Genera?” “That is where I belong.,” Beckongncho told him firmly. “When you were SDO, when did you usually come in?” “I came in where the SDO came in. I could not come in as SDO, run out, change into the Paramount Chief dress and come in as Paramount Chief.” *** That same afternoon Ephraim Njikem visited Beckongncho in the palace. He immediately told Beckongncho why he had come: “I have been very worried by this your dismissal thing in the papers. What really happened?” “Whose dismissal?” Beckongncho inquired. “Yours,” Njikem opened the paper, the national daily THE STARLIGHT and showed the article in the column under society. The caption said. 227 A Legend of the Dead: Sequel to The Crown of Thorns SMALL MONJE AREA: Beckongncho read on: The newly established Provincial Auditing Committees mean business. In the wake of their exercise, heads are beginning to roll. The first casualty following the exposure of fraud and blatant misappropriation of Government funds, is SDO Kevin Beckongncho who was relieved of his post by Presidential Order no. 321/sb/M.b/T. of 16th February, 1969. Beckongncho went over to the shelf in his sitting room and brought out a file which he threw open, took out a copy of the letter he had submitted to the Minister of Territorial Administration and showed Njikem. “I was not dismissed, Ephraim. I resigned,” he said calmly. “I took this down myself. Looking at the date, 12th February. What this means in effect is that your Government dismissed the SDO of Small Monje and Bimobio four full days after he had tendered in his letter of resignation. Look at my travelling warrant.” He showed Njikem. Quite naturally, Beckongncho expected Njikem to look indignant. Instead, Njikem only looked dubiously confused, which kept him worried...