Imagine a son of the city mayor who, while growing up, enjoyed the benefits and privilege of the wealth and power which his family acquired through unexplained or questionable means.
Ultimately, the citizens are awakened to his family’s excesses, and banish them from the city.
After many years, the son, with the use of his wealth and crafty social media marketing, re-engineers his public person, such that he receives enthusiastic acceptance from the people who had banished his family from the city a generation earlier.
With his new-found popularity and celebrity status, the son quickly takes hold of his father’s position as city mayor.
At last, the son and his family’s honor are vindicated. Or has it been?
Only time will tell. The son’s performance as city mayor will be judged by history.
On the surface, the son’s performance as head of government now appears to be received enthusiastically, as economic pundits and international financial institutions laud the government’s better than seven percent gross domestic product performance.
Supported by a fawning press, and a well-oiled PR machine, the son is smelling roses, supposedly having charmed the international community that his city is a model of development, and a haven for foreign investment.
Everything seems to be well and good with this city mayor’s performance.
Buried beneath this veneer of success, are memories of the excesses of his father as former mayor.
Glossed over are the human rights violations, the collapse of the city’s economy, and the burgeoning deficit caused by excessive foreign borrowing.
Paid with lip service, too, are real problems confronting his government. His office inherited a burgeoning public debt, the remnants of a health, crisis, rising inflation, and a very serious food crisis.
Despite glowing reports of how well his government is doing, vindication will not come unless he leads the city out of these obstacles with proper governance, and come out credible as working for public service, and not self-interest.
He must also comply with the obligations of his family and himself, already determined by our justice system.
For instance, he must settle his and his family’s liabilities to the government, like unpaid taxes and the return of confiscated property.
Unless he comes clean on these pending liabilities, vindication will also not be forthcoming.
Of course, because there is proof of actual improvements in the economy, and businessmen are optimistic of our future, we must give this city mayor every opportunity to succeed for the public good.
This government must be conscious, however, of ensuring that the gains of his administration trickle down to the poorest in our city to improve everyone’s quality of life.
More important than vindication is redemption for the sins of the past.
Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” (Luke 19:8)
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