Using specific examples from Lara’s The Samaritan, write a composition to show that one cannot escape from the consequences of their actions.(20marks)

 Introduction

 The municipal officials of Maracas pay dearly for their actions-corrupt deeds (Accept any other relevant introduction) (2mks)

Illustrations

Ci) Seymour is said to be dealing in drugs. He has sold it the whole of his life. He has also used the proceeds from such sales to campaign and win a political seat. His drug trafficking has earned Maracas a bad name as a hub of narcotic. He has sold drugs to the youth and as result, he has ruined their lives. Some of them have dropped out of school, died, roam aimlessly or lost their minds. Page 66-67. Poetic justice befalls him because he has a dysfunctional family. They are incapable of being productive in society because his wife is perpetually inebriated, the eldest son has a permanent residence in a rehab. Page 70 OR leads a rotten department of Planning and Development. They delay the approvals of buildings because one must part with dollars before any approval of building plans. The inspectorate unit under him is said to be rotten and therefore one can build substandard building posing a danger to its residents especially in an earthquake-prone area Page 66. He supplies air. Page 24 when he is mentioned in the Samaritan, he panics, and threatens those behind the posts with dire consequences. He is desperately looking for money with which to fight the imminent cases in court. They are driven away surviving assault by a whisker. When the police arrive, he shuffles around in confusion before together with others be is handcuffed OR He is a member of a gang. Black Swan that terrorizes others by shootings and violence. It is responsible for the many disappearances reported in the dailies all the time.

C ii) Ted is responsible for the wanton environmental degradation. Page 11. “The waste disposal system is in a terrible state. Garbage is all over the place and the drains are broken. “Page 33. He supplies air (companies billing the Municipal Council huge sums of money without rendering services page 24-25. The health care system is in a pathetic state because he awards tenders to his relatives and companies. Instead of putting up health centres, they build site officers that look like cowsheds in a conspiracy meant to swindle the municipal council huge sums of money. Page 64. When his ills are exposed, he tries to rally the people against the Mayor and survivors death by a whisker when the Mayor’s gang confronts them with crude weapons such as burning tyres, sacks and rocks, page 74-75. Together with others he is shocked when the police arrive, shuffles his feet in confusion before being handcuffed and led out page 138.

 

C iii) Justice Jaden head a rotten judiciary. The Mayor says. “I find our courts undependable, they follow the money more than they follow justice.” Page 44. He also refers to the judge as worse than temple robbers page 67 the judge also confesses that litigants gave him money to rule in their favour. Page 112. As a result, poor people are denied access to justice. OR he involves himself in Rodent-gate Scandal trough the Prime Orchard Farm came before him, he ruled in its favour. Page 105-111. As a result the rodents depleted the grains causing hunger making people to buy maize expensively. When he is exposed, he regrets ever getting involved in corrupt dealings. He fears losing his property and not enjoying his retirement as he had planned. He is tormented by rats-he sees them everywhere page 116-117. In the end he tries to crouch under the boardroom table in vain. He is handcuffed and led out. Page 112-113; 12.

C iv) Bembe uses the police as a person outfit to extort money from both the innocent and guilty alike. He uses the police to collect bribes for him fro, the vehicles on the road. From the proceeds of corruption, he constructed a hotel-Madingo Golf Club derogatively referred to as “Motorist Highway Hotel.” Page 40-41. When Teacher fails to budge, he visits her, threatens, accuses her and arrests her on tramped up charges – that she stole a generator. Page 93-98. When his evil deeds are exposed, he gets into a panic mode. Page 40-41. He wonders what he will retire to if his property is taken away. He says that he would rather die than be an inmate of a homeless person. Page 99. When his bosses Simmons him to the capital, he feels like diging a hole and living there. Page 100. He says that his “knees, elbows and head are aching.” In the end when the police come, with the power he has been wielding, he staggers and almost falls as he tries to take cover page 138.

C v) Mayor Mossi puts his personal interest above public policy. He admits that when the load of bread meant for the people come through him, he takes three slices. Page 68-69. When he is exposed he goes overdrive to defend himself. He visits Nicole and confesses hoping to get a reprieve, reveals his officials as the corrupt ones hopping to exonerate himself page 60-73, he attempts to bribe Nicole so as to take control of the App page 61. He blames the people for electing evil people. Page 70-71. When fails to convince the judge to play ball, he digs up on his past and exposes him to as to win him over page 48; 105-111. He hopes to win back public confidence by securing the arrest both Ramdaye and Basdeo page 112. He is desperate to circumvent the onslaught of the app at all costs. However, his designs fail flat. Nicole refuses the new post they have created for her. The police arrive and he tries to hide behind Nicole before he is handcuffed together with his municipal officials.

C vi) Ramdaye uses his reltives to do shoddy municipal works. He constructs impassable secondary roads. Only a few kilometers of the road are dug up, pour black oil. The roads are in a pathetic state-looking like “abandoned battle fields where bombs detonated” yet the council pays” top dollar” for the roads. Page 62-69. When the Samaritan app exposes him, he is desperate hopping to secure a vote-of-no confidence page 74-86. He forms a coalition with Basdeo in the hope of going far. 81-84. When all avenues seem impossible, he leads a reunion with the Mayor only for him to be arrested with the other municipal officials 130-138. He shuffles around in confusion hoping to avoid arrest.

(Accept any 4 well illustrated points. Mark 3:3:3:3) Total 12 marks

Grammar and Presentation 4marks

Conclusion

 When one is in a position of leadership they should be prudent in the management of resources under their charge. Failure to do so, comes with a lot of pain.(Accept any other valid conclusion) 2marks