THE SAMARITAN

ESSAYS QUESTIONS AND

ANSWERS

1. Standing firm in doing what is right yields good results. Using Nicole in
John Lara's The Samaritan, write an essay in support this statement.

Nicole, the Ethics and Innovation teacher at Sagrada Secondary School, is the
embodiment of an unwavering moralist determined to bring positive change to

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Maracas Municipality. Despite facing serious resistance from the leaders, her effort
bears fruit when the corrupt leaders are apprehended. Resoluteness in doing the right
things brings victory.

Nicole stands firm when the Mayor of Maracas Municipality orders for a halting of
activities related to the Samaritan App and her firmness pays off. The aim of the
Samaritan App is to expose corruption and agitate for the prosecution of the culprits.
When he realises that the App may expose his failures, ineptness and corrupt deeds
and possibly lead to his prosecution, Mossi-oa-Tunya declines to launch it or award
Alvita and Montano, the brains behind the innovation. He alleges that the App may
turn out to be a platform for misinformation, lies and witch-hunt. Although he
acknowledges that the school is doing a good job in nurturing visionaries and
innovators, he has jitters about giving the Samaritan App the green light. The skit by
Nicole, Alvita and Montano clearly demonstrates that the App can be used to share
sensitive information like the Municipal Procurement Process. The Mayor is hesitant
to allow its commissioning. In an attempt to stop the operations of the App, he claims
he needs time to think, and will launch the App at his own convenient time. He orders
Nicole and Principal Narine to halt all activities regarding the App until his office
gives them the clearance. He demands that they write to the Ministry of Education
citing fundamental errors. Nicole firmly rebuts that the App passed all tests done by
senior officers at the Ministry of Education and skillful software engineers. The
Mayor tries to intimidate Nicole when he states that he is Mossi-oa-Tunya: the smoke
that thunders and a Mayor with express mandate by the people of Maracas. He raises
his voice and points his walking stick at Nicole. He demands that she pens the letter
and send a copy to him in an hour’s time. Nicole is adamant that the matter is beyond
her since the App was taken over by the National Information and Communication
Technology Corporation and she determinedly says that she will only do what is right.
Madam Principal confirms Nicole's resolute nature when she claims she is bound to

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ignore the Mayor’s orders since she usually doesn’t compromise on what she thinks is
right. In the long run, Mayor Mossi fails to intimidate Nicole and operations of the
App are not halted. Mossi is exposed as a corrupt leader and is eventually arrested.
Nicole’s determination pays off.

Moreover, Narine, the principal, admonishes Nicole hoping that she would abandon
her quest for a better Maracas but Nicole remains steadfast until the end when her
effort bears victory. The principal acknowledges that the Samaritan App has sent
shockwaves across the municipality, driving leaders into terrible panic. She advises
Nicole to think long and hard about the Samaritan App. Narine says she is single-
handedly focused on providing students under her care with quality education. She
vows that she will not allow any teacher to deviate from this course. She appears to be
persuading Nicole to stop the operations of the Samaritan App. She advises her, as a
senior administrator and her mother’s age mate , to know which battles to wage,
which ones to avoid, and those to defer. She avers that a young girl like Nicole cannot
battle against an elephant like Mossi. Standing firm, Nicole tells her boss that an
elephant that kills a rat is not a hero. She also wonders if the principal would rather
that they abandon the Samaritan, an ingenious innovation, with great potential of
improving the Municipality to appease an egocentric political class. The principal
offers no support for Nicole. She instead chooses to step back. This does not dampen
Nicole's spirit. The principal feels Nicole is a headstrong girl. She is fed up. She says
she is not a house help or a secretary to keep receiving calls on behalf of Nicole. She
also feels threatened when the leaders call saying that they are visiting Nicole at
school. The principal feels that the App will not change anything and counsels Nicole
with the wise words that, “The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that
resists”. Nicole does not heed even when Narine adds that, “If you can’t turn the wind,
turn the sails”. Nicole stays firm. She cannot give in and allow the plunder of public
resources. Her resoluteness pays off when the leaders including Bembe and Mossi are

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arrested by Tajo, the head of Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau. Surely,
resoluteness results in victory.

Thirdly, Nicole chooses to stand firm when the Inspector General of police, Bembe,
tries to unnerve her by arresting her on trumped-up charges. When Mossi and Bembe
realise that the Samaritan App was being used to air their dirty linen in public, they
plan to visit and talk to Nicole. Mossi correctly points out that Nicole may be a very
difficult person. Nicole is determined to do the right thing. Bembe insists that he has a
way of making people switch allegiances. Bembe has a ploy to accuse Nicole of theft
of school furniture, a computer or a generator. He plans to get people to steal the
school generator and accuse Nicole of the crime then ask the judge to put her in. True
to his word, Bembe goes to Sagrada Secondary School to arrest Nicole citing a wide
range of accusations including disobeying authorities, being located at the scene of a
murder and stealing the school generator. Nicole is not intimidated. She knows that
her obligation is to do what is right, not to obey leaders blindly. A leader cannot
compel her to do the wrong things. Her choice to do the right thing is not negotiable.
Even in the face of an impending jail term, she is not subdued by Bembe's
preposterous fabricated charges. She tells him that it will get him nowhere and that
that will be the darkest day of his career. Bembe orders the police to handcuff Nicole
and the strong-willed teacher resists until she is overpowered. Bembe is only but
trying to intimidate Nicole to stop pursuing the activities of the Samaritan App
claiming it poses grave danger to society. Nicole replies that she is but a simple
teacher trying to do what is right. While Bembe posits that Nicole has an evil plan, she
insists that The Samaritan App has no personal agenda and is a people’s platform of
protecting and promoting public good. When she is arraigned in court, thousands of
protesters from all walks of life mob the court precincts in solidarity with Nicole,
leaving Bembe with an egg on his face. Furthermore, his bosses summon him over the

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impropriety. Eventually, Bembe is arrested for his involvement in a wide array of
crimes and abuse of office. Nicole’s determination to do good ends in victory.

Apart from that, Alvita and Montano try but fail to plead with miss Nicole to give up
the Samaritan App and she tells them to stand firm with the App and this pays off
when the corrupt leaders are arrested. When the unscrupulous leaders are whisked
away by the police, Alvita cries triumphantly that, “You can never escape from the
consequences of your actions”. These are the exact words of the resolute miss Nicole.
The apprehensive students are the brains behind the Samaritan App. But they are now
worried that as a result of the Mayor’s ultimatum, the App may get their beloved
teacher in trouble. Nicole insists that the Samaritan App is an excellent platform for
them to speak out against wrongdoing and share ideas that will make their lives better.
The leaders of Maracas municipality are like the priests and Levite who ignore the
injured Samaritan. They do not care about the people. Neither do they come to their
aid. They only pursue their own selfish interests. The students still think that miss
Nicole is in grave danger. The teacher is determined to stand for a cause that can bring
a better tomorrow for everyone. The Samaritan has been all over the media platforms
and Alvita thinks it has grown so big that it is no longer good for them anymore. The
two students suggest that she transfers to a different school. Nicole asks them not to
chicken out at every trial or threat. They must stand firm and demand that their leaders
do the right thing. She demands that they are not discouraged and that they stay brave.
This is not an effort in futility. The corrupt leaders including Mayor Mossi are
eventually arrested.

Also, Nicole remains steadfast when the Mayor approaches her and tries to beg for
mercy seemingly penitent of his evil acts and attempting to sway Nicole to eliminate
some negative information about him from the Samaritan App. The Mayor starts by
apologizing to Nicole for being a bit hard on her earlier. He wants to have an honest

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talk with her. He concedes that he made some mistakes and is ostensibly there to
make the clean breast of everything and to seek Nicole’s understanding and help.
Nicole is taken aback by the change of heart from the initially overbearing Mossi-oa-
Tunya, the untouchable smoke that thunders. He even offers Nicole a bribe. He asks
her to quote her figure. Looking straight at him, Nicole affirms in a firm voice that she
can never be part of such a scheme. She is disappointed that a man entrusted to fight
corruption is instead the chief perpetrator. Stuttering, the penitent leader claims he
was offering to invest in the Samaritan App. Mossi feels he is being wrongly accused
on the Samaritan. Nicole reminds him that as the overall leader the buck stops with
him. Mossi tries to exonerate himself by slinging mud at his fellow politicians for
instance Ramdaye, deputy Mayor, for misappropriation of funds; Ted King, the
secretary of Health and Environment; Seymour, the secretary in charge of Planning
and Development and Judge Ian Jaden. The Mayor claims that he cannot do anything
about the rot in the municipality, inadvertently admitting his ineptness. Nicole notes
that the whole Municipal Council is a criminal enterprise. Mossi admits that he steals
at most three slices of the loaf meant for the people. He points fingers at everyone else
for eating the whole loaf including the wrapping and the vendor where applicable.
Nicole resolutely suggests that all those he accuses are answerable to him. When he
realizes that Nicole wasn’t going to be swayed by his emotional pleas, he turns to
threats. He demands that she deletes every post that cast him in the negative light or
else she will discover why he is called Mossi-oa-Tunya: the smoke that thunders.
Nicole remains resolute to do the right thing. Eventually, Mossi-oa-Tunya, the smoke
that thunders, is arrested by the anti-corruption police. Indeed, standing firm in doing
the right thing brings positive results.

Lastly, the leaders of Maracas Municipality attempt to appease Nicole by playing

power politics and offering her a high office in the Municipality but she declines the
offer, standing her ground until the felonious leaders are arrested. The eight leaders

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meet at the Chamber of the Principal Judge with the aim of saving their skins from
The Samaritan. They have assembled to figure out a way to escape being thrown
behind bars at Baneta Express Prison. Basdeo suggests that they talk to Nicole. Mossi
warns him that she is very firm. He tried appealing to her mercy, she couldn’t budge.
He tried intimidation and still she couldn’t yield. Basdeo suggests that they give her a
powerful position at the municipal council. They plan to let her tell them the position
she wants and voila! she becomes part and parcel of the municipal leadership. Jaden
suggests that they bring her a box of chocolate as an incentive but Mossi cautions him
that she won’t take it. When they meet Nicole, they all grovel. Jaden seeks for
forgiveness for intruding into Nicole’s busy schedule. Bembe apologizes profusely for
arresting Nicole. Mossi also apologizes for treading on her toes. Although she is
puzzled, Nicole accepts the apologies and also expresses regret in the event that she
offended any of them. She politely declines Ted's offer of a golden ring. The leaders
admit serious mistakes in the leadership that have brought the Municipality to a crisis.
They avow that the ship is sinking. They request Nicole’s contribution in enhancing
service delivery to the people and she accepts. They ask her to name the senior
position she would like to occupy. Jaden proposes that she should assume the role of
Director General. Nicole declines the offer telling the gentleman that they don’t need
new laws, contracts or positions but a change of spirit among the people and
especially among the leaders. Nicole tells them that to salvage the bleak situation they
should do the right thing; that is, make a U-turn about dipping their fingers in the
public till and pursuing personal gains. At this point, her efforts bring good tidings
when the corrupt officials are arrested and escorted to the Anti-Corruption
investigation Bureau.

In conclusion, triumph is a result of an unwavering spirit especially when we

champion for good. Nicole's determination to stamp out corruption in Maracas

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Municipality and to have the disreputable leaders brought to book ends in a jackpot
when they are all arrested signaling a new dawn.

2. When citizens elect selfish leaders, they end up suffering. Write an essay in
support of this claim basing your illustrations on John Lara's The
Samaritan.

Some leaders only care about their selfish interests. When such self-seeking leaders
are elected, they abuse their powers and break the law with impunity. They engage in
vices such as corruption, drug trafficking, murder, gang warfare, misappropriation of
public funds etc. The citizens who vote them in bear the brunt of such cruelty, lack of
integrity and inefficiency.

Ramdaye, the Deputy Mayor of Maracas municipality, is a selfish man whose corrupt
ways lead to the suffering of many citizens of Maracas. Despite knowing that he has
never accomplished anything in his life other than swindling people, the people
overwhelmingly vote for him. He is in charge of the Department of Physical
Infrastructure. He uses this position to award his companies and those of his relatives
tenders for construction of roads, bridges, pavements, drains and water courses. They
misappropriate the funds and do a shoddy job. He is also in charge of construction and
maintenance of secondary roads. Due to his ineptness, the workers do such a shoddy
job that the poor quality roads look like abandoned battlefield destroyed by bombs.
Even tractors get stuck on such roads! Moreover, citizens still elect him even when
they know him as a conman who prints fake title deeds and sells the same plot to as
many as ten people. He sold Bembe, the Inspector General of police, land that belongs
to Maracas university. That is how he has earned his livelihood all these years. He has
destroyed lives of countless people because of his greed (P42). When he learned about
the “Rodengate Affair”, in which justice Ian Jaden was rearing rats and introducing
them into farms to undermine local production in order to import corn through his

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company, Prime Orchard Limited, he is silenced by bribery. He is given money and
shares in the company. His family is also doing all Municipal Council projects that
fall under his Department denying deserving citizens a chance to offer their prowess
and earn an honest coin. Thus, residents continue to suffer under his watch. Indeed,
citizens suffer when they elect rogue leaders like Ramdaye.

Ted King is also a self-seeking leader who causes anguish to the citizens of Maracas
Municipality owing to his selfish nature. He is the Municipal Secretary for the
Department of Health and Environment. Despite his infamous reputation as a pirate
and a nuisance to the public, people vote for him overwhelmingly into the Municipal
Council. The youth and all are excited by his evil hairstyle, ripped jeans, bangles,
necklaces and other adornments. After inviting bids for construction of health centres,
Ted ensures companies associated with his relatives and friends win the tenders. He
conspires with them and steals all the money allotted for the project and ends up
putting up site offices that resemble cowsheds. A former DJ, Ted was responsible for
noise pollution and pirating other people’s music. Citizens, tired of the nuisance and
agony, complained ceaselessly. Furthermore, he is illiterate and spews gibberish on
the floor of the chamber. He reeks of illicit brew like one who sleeps in a brewery or a
nightclub. Together with Seymour, he is responsible for supplying air to the
Municipal Council. This means that their companies receive huge sums of public
funds without rendering any service. He further supports Seymour’s rallying call that
they reallocate the budget in order to use public funds to fight the corruption cases
against them. Citizens who vote in leaders like Ted end up in anguish since the self-
seeking leader does not deliver services to them instead they embezzle funds for their
selfish interests.

Thirdly, Seymour, is the self-seeking secretary to the Municipal Department of

Planning and Development. In spite of his moral failings, the people elected him

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overwhelmingly. He bribes people using his drug money to buy his way into office.
To get building plans approval in Maracas municipality, people simply bribe Seymour
and the rotten Inspectorate Unit under him. Proper building standards are not adhered
to thus putting the lives of the people living in such buildings at great risk. Never
mind that Maracas is in a seismically active area. The people have also suffered under
his callous leadership since anyone who dares bat an eyelid ends up disappearing
mysteriously. He runs a murderous gang known Black Swan Gang which is
responsible for shootings and violence. People read about this in the papers but they
still elect him. Apart from that, he demands that Mossi justifies reallocation on the
need to address the issue of the terrible waste disposal system in the town. It is a
serious health hazard for the citizens since the garbage is strewn all over the place and
the drains are broken. Instead of fixing the problem, he wants them to use the funds to
fight off the imminent corruption cases against them. Seymour is also known for drug
trafficking. He has ruined the lives of many children who have dropped out of school
because of drugs, some have become cabbages, some roam aimlessly or have lost
their minds and worse still others have died because of drugs. He also has a fake law
certificate that he uses to intimidate people with. His whole family including his two
children and wife have been ruined by drugs. Surely, people who vote for such evil
leaders can only blame themselves for the agony their leaders put them through.

The mayor of Maracas municipality, Mossi-oa-Tunya, is also a selfish leader whose

avarice results in untold suffering for the subjects under him. He claims that he was
voted in by hundreds of thousands of people. All these people voted for him in spite
of his iniquity. Using his powers, he tries to halt the operations of The Samaritan App,
an innovation used to fight corruption and other vices in Maracas Municipality. He
tries intimidate Ms. Narine, the Principal, and Ms. Nicole the Ethics and Innovations
teacher at Sagrada Secondary School. In the past, he has been forced by Seymour to
misallocate public money to fund unnecessary demands like sitting allowances for

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useless committee meetings. He is also responsible for the municipal capture; the
worst form of corruption and abuse of office. His private interests determine the
direction of public policy. He asks Mr. Harvester to use public funds to buy all
newspapers that portray the Municipal leaders in bad light and to organize daily press
conferences to clear their names and save their skin. Apart from that, he runs a gang
of riotous youth known as the Red Eagle Gang. He admits stealing public resources
when he alludes to a loaf bread meant for the people from which he takes three slices
for himself. Although the buck stops with him, he points fingers at other leaders like
Ramdaye and Seymour, completely refusing to admit blame. He is only keen on
protecting his political career. Under his watch, the citizens suffer a den of leaders
who participate in corruption, murder, stealing, dishonesty and sexual perversion.
Electing such leaders is a sure way to end up in the quagmire of agony.

In conclusion, citizens who want their region to develop with expediency must elect
honourable leaders of integrity. Supporting inept leaders who only care about their
own interests results in agony for the citizens.

3. Immoral people try to hide their misdeeds but when the truth comes out,
they face the consequences of their actions. Making reference to John
Lara's The Samaritan, write an essay to support this statement.

Some people are dishonest or unethical. They go to great lengths to conceal their
immorality or wicked deeds. Inevitably, the truth comes out and they pay for their
sins. Characters like Mossi, Jaden and Bembe in The Samaritan learn this the hard
way.

Mossi tries to conceal his immoral acts but when the truth is revealed, he faces the
consequences. Mossi is exposed for being corrupt. He is accused of municipal capture
- the worst form of corruption and abuse of office(P38). He is also accused of inflating

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the cost of projects and presiding over shoddy municipal projects(P62). He fails to call
his municipal secretaries to order and rebuke them despite having information about
the corrupt and inept leaders. He admits that he has some skeletons in the closet and
he goes to great lengths to keep these misdeeds a secret (P29). First, he refuses to
launch the Samaritan app claiming it may have far-reaching implications (P15,23). He
orders Ms. Nicole to write to the ministry officials expressing his reservations about
the Samaritan app. He also threatens the principal Ms. Narine. This is because the aim
of the Samaritan App is to promote the public good by exposing corruption and other
vices in the municipality and agitating for the prosecution of the culprits(P23).
Secondly, he convenes an urgent meeting to try and avert the adverse effects of the
exposure. He orders Mr. Harvester to buy all the newspapers in an effort to conceal
his misdeeds. The headlines of the newspapers such as ‘The Caribbean Watch', ‘The
Sentinel’ and ‘The Spotlight’ are extremely damaging for him and the other leaders.
He supports Bembe's idea of banning the Samaritan app and orders Harvester to issue
a circular to that effect (P27-28). Mossi wants computer experts to hack and mess up
the app. He calls for a meeting of his dependable allies and asks Harvester to prepare
a comprehensive press statement to counter the allegations against them(P43). He
intends to hold a press conference daily. The mayor visits Ms Nicole and admits his
mistakes and begs her to help her by eliminating incriminating information about him
from the app. He even offers her and the innovators, Alvita and Montano, a bribe.
Nicole declines(P60-61). When his remorseful approach fails, he orders Nicole to
delete all negative posts about him from the app, trying to conceal his wrongdoing
(P73). He later on apologizes to Nicole and even offers her a post at the municipal
council. He shakes her hand vigorously when he mistakenly thinks that she had
accepted the offer. The truth about his unethical deeds is, however, all over the app
and mainstream media. Mossi tries to hide behind Nicole when he and others are
accosted by Tajo, the National Anti-corruption Investigation Bureau boss. He is

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arrested and cuffed and escorted to the National Anti-corruption Investigation Bureau
headquarters. Indeed, no one can escape from the consequences of their actions.

Secondly, Inspector Bembe tries to hide his unscrupulous deals but when the truth
comes out he faces the music. Inspector Bembe has always been very discreet about
his private affairs. His face is covered with an expression of horror when it is revealed
that people are demanding for information about the source of funds he used to build
Madingo Golf Club. Mossi reminds him that there is nothing you can do on earth
without someone knowing about it(P26). The secretive policeman is exposed on the
Samaritan app and accused of an array of illegalities including; corruption, drug
peddling, violation of human rights and extortion(P38). ‘The Caribbean Watch’
newspaper reports that his hotel and his home are built on Maracas University land -
which is public land. A lobby group has moved to court to have the land restored to
the university(P40). He is also exposed for gang involvement - being a member of
Ghettoboyz. His hotel is famously known as Motorist Highway Hotel since it was
built using proceeds of corruption; bribes from motorists. His officers collect bribes
from the guilty and innocent alike. The police force has been converted into his own
personal outfit(P41). To conceal his immoral deeds, Inspector Bembe suggests that
they threaten some of the reporters(P22) and that they ban The Samaritan app in
Maracas Municipality. He is ready to enforce the law(P27). He then tries to intimidate
Nicole by accusing her of stealing the school generator, being at a scene of a murder,
disobeying authorities and being too strong-willed for a school teacher (P94-95). He
then arrests her on trumped up charges while demanding to know where The
Samaritan is hidden. When this fails, he tries to apologize to Nicole as they attempt to
lure her with a job offer(P131). When faced by Tajo, the anti-corruption police boss,
he staggers and almost falls as he seeks cover(P138). He is then arrested and
handcuffed. As a diabetic, he is bound to face a rough time in prison (P99). When evil
deeds come to the light, the perpetrators suffer the consequences.

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Justice Jaden tries to strategically conceal his dirty deals but he suffers when his
secrets are divulged. Mossi reveals that judges in Maracas municipality are worse than
temple robbers. He tells Jaden that they all have some skeletons in the closet. Jaden
thinks of himself as a strategic schemer. He posits that what matters is not what you
do, but how you do it. He claims that you can fly into forbidden territory and get away
with it, provided you do it under the radar(P29). Indeed, he is part of the syndicate just
like Mossi insinuated. A company linked to him - Prime Orchard Farm - was involved
in the “rats and other rodents scandal”. He is a shareholder in the company(P105). He
gives biased rulings in favour of Ivy, his mistress, considering single sourcing for her
company as opposed to a competitive bidding and also in favour of Prime Orchard
Farm when the company is sued for being the source of destructive rodents. The farm
rears rats that are released into farms to undermine production of grains in order to
increase demand for imported grain since Prime Orchard Farm is one of the largest
importers of corn in the municipality. The specially trained cats at the farm eat
chicken instead of rodents. Jaden also uses his public office to amass a fortune for
himself. He is also corrupt since he takes money from litigants to determine cases in
their favour. When he realizes his evil deeds have been exposed, he beseeches
Harvester to organize a meeting with Mossi, Basdeo and others with the view to
saving their skins from their Samaritan app and concealing their unethical acts. He
also plans to apply the principle of double jeopardy, that is initiating prosecution in
order to preempt any legal move against them. He then suggests temporarily halting
activities of the Samaritan app citing intrusion of privacy(P123). To further conceal
his misdeeds, he is part of the schemers offering Nicole a lucrative post in the
municipal council. His exposure causes him immense suffering. He experiences
hallucinations when he sees rats and other rodents and catches the smell of sewer rats,
nausea and stomach ulcers. When accosted by Tajo, the National Anti-corruption
Investigations Bureau chief, he crouches under the boardroom table. He is then

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arrested and cuffed. Indeed when misdeeds are exposed, the miscreants suffer
adversely.

Seymour insists on reallocation of budget items or submission of a supplementary

budget in order to use the money to fight the impending cases against them when his
misdeeds are exposed. When his fraudulent acts are exposed, he suggests that they
talk to the people posting on the Samaritan app and pay them to stop(P24). Companies
linked to him are exposed on the Samaritan app and the newspapers for supplying air
to the municipality then bill the municipal council huge sums of money without
rendering any service. He supports Bembe’s idea of banning the Samaritan app, and
justifies this by claiming it is a suspect spy app. He also cites absurd reasons like theft
of confidential information like bank details, cyber bullying and pornography in
schools(P27). Seymour suggests that they should rely on Justice Ian Jaden should the
issue escalate to court(P29). In addition to that, he posits that the leaders should talk to
Alvita and Montano(P30) or use money from the municipal council coffers to bribe
witnesses as they fight the cases(P31). In a bid to further hide his wickedness, he
proposes that Mossi should allow reallocation of funds, ostensibly to manage the
waste disposal system. In real sense, some of the money would be used to fight the
cases against him. He has been a culprit in such misallocation of funds in the past by
compelling the mayor to irregularly part with funds for regular travel with enhanced
allowances, unnecessary committee meetings and loans and mortgages. He pushes the
mayor to the wall in an effort to compel him to approve the supplementary budget in
order to conceal his wrongdoing. Seymour was once a poor, jigger-infested hoodlum.
Now he lives in grandiose villas and mansions, indulges in sumptuous delicacies in
classy hotels and drives swanky state-of-the-art vehicles(P35) thanks to his corrupt
ways. He is behind protracted delays in the issue of building approvals, bribes to get a
building plan, and gang violence with Black Swan gang, selling drugs and ruining the
lives of the youth in Maracas municipality. Eventually he is arrested, cuffed and

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escorted to the anti-corruption headquarters by Tajo. He shuffles around Nicole on his
feet in confusion. Surely, when ones evil deeds come to the light, they regret the
consequences of their actions.

In conclusion, indeed unethical people attempt to conceal their misdeeds albeit

unsuccessfully. Eventually, they face the music when their sins are exposed.

4. Selfish leaders create many problems that affect citizens. Making reference
to John Lara’s The Samaritan, write an essay to support this statement.

Many issues facing citizens of Maracas Municipality are a creation of self-seeking

leaders. Leaders like Mossi, Bembe, Jaden, Ramdaye and Seymour lack consideration
for the citizens and are only concerned with their own selfish ambitions. These result
in many problems for the citizens.

Mayor Mossi creates many problems for the citizens of Maracas as a result of his
selfishness. He selfishly declines to either award Alvita and Montano, the innovators
of the Samaritan app, or launch the app. He cites far-reaching implications. He orders
Ms. Narine and Ms. Nicole to halt any activity regarding the app(P16). Nicole was to
write a letter to the officials expressing the mayor’s reservation about The
Samaritan(P17). The Samaritan had been approved by senior officials at the Ministry
of Education and experienced software engineers(P16). Mossi later misuses his power
when he threatens Nicole and Narine(P19). Mossi is accused of municipal capture
which is the worst form of corruption and abuse of office. He later owns up his
mistakes and seeks Nicole’s help(P60). Owing to his selfishness, he wants her to
eliminate some negative information about him on the app. He even offers to bribe
Nicole and the kids(P61). Mossi is also accused of inflating costs of projects and
presiding over shoddy municipal works(P62). Later, he orders Nicole to delete every
post that casts him in negative light(P73). When Ramdaye and others plan to move a

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vote of no confidence against him, he asks justice Jaden to jail Basdeo, Ramdaye,
Seymour and Ted only because he wants to save his skin. Never mind that earlier on
he did not bother to have them convicted, despite having intel about their wrongdoing,
accusing the judges of being worse than temple robbers(P67). As the overall leader,
Nicole notes that the buck stops with him(P62). Everything Mossi does is motivated
by his selfish interest rather than public interest. Thus, the municipality is rife with
problems such as corruption, murder, theft, deceit and sexual perversion(P90). These
problems affect the citizens thanks to Mossi’s avarice. Surely, uncaring leaders create
problems which affect the citizens.

The deputy mayor Ramdaye is a selfish leader who creates a myriad of problems for
citizens of Maracas Municipality. He is the municipal secretary in charge of
infrastructure. Under his watch, the citizens have to make do with terrible roads in the
municipality. The council pays a lot of money for the roads but only a few kilometres
of roads are dug up. The contractor pours old black oil and claims the road is
tarmacked. The roads look like abandoned battlefields ruined by detonated bombs and
are so terrible that even tractors get stuck on them(P62). He fuels nepotism since only
his companies and those of his relatives win tenders for construction of roads,
constructions of bridges, drains and waterways. They misappropriate funds and do not
do any meaningful work(P63). He also prints fake title deeds and sells ten plots to ten
different unsuspecting people. He swindles many people including Bembe, the
Inspector General of police, to whom he sells grabbed land that belongs to Maracas
University. He has ruined the lives of countless people through his greed(P42). The
citizens are adversely affected because of the substandard infrastructure. Ramdaye is a
self-seeking leader since his family is involved in municipal projects and it does
business with the municipal council. Such selfish leaders initiate serious problems that
burden the citizens.

17
Ted King is also a leader that creates problems that adversely affect the citizens. Ted
is the secretary in charge of health and environment. The healthcare sector in Maracas
is in disarray. Hospitals today barely have any medicine(P9). There are no drugs in
hospitals because of theft(P91). He invites bids for construction of health centres but
due to his selfishness, only companies associated with his friends and family win
tenders. Ted steals all the money budgeted for healthcare. He puts up site offices that
look like cowsheds. It is said that he “ate” a whole hospital(P64). People also
complained of noise pollution when he worked as a deejay. Apart from that, he also
pirates other people’s music(P65). For his selfish interests, he tries to whip up racial
and class prejudice in a bid to ouster Mayor Mossi. Many problems experienced by
citizens are created by selfish leaders like Ted King.

As a result of Seymour’s selfishness, the plight of citizens of Maracas is aggravated.

He is the municipal secretary in charge of planning and development. There is a
public outcry over companies that bill the municipality huge sums of money without
rendering any services. Thus, Seymour is accused of supply of air(P24). In order to
exonerate himself, he proposes that they have a conversation with those posting
damaging information about him on The Samaritan app and they pay them to
stop(P24). He selfishly suggests that they get money from the municipal fund through
the reallocation of budget line items. They can justify the reallocation of funds on the
alleged need to address the problem of poor waste disposal since there is garbage all
over the place and the drains are broken, leading to a serious health hazard. In reality,
the public funds would be used to fight off the impending cases against them(P33). In
the past, he has misused public funds through regular travel with enhanced
allowances, sitting allowance for unnecessary committee meetings, loans and
mortgages(P34). He insists on approval of a supplementary budget to selfishly obtain
the cash or else they eject the mayor from office(P35). When elected, he was dirt poor
but now he swims in stolen public money(P35). As an incompetent self-seeking

18
secretary of planning and development, he is behind protracted delays in building
approvals in Maracas. One needs to part with dollars to get building plan approvals.
The inspectorate unit under him approves improper buildings because of
corruption(P66). He is also involved in gang violence as the head of the Black Swan
gang that is responsible for shooting, violence and disappearance of people. He also
sells narcotics and has ruined lives of many children who have dropped out of school,
become cabbages, roam aimlessly, lost their minds and even some have died(P67). He
was voted in overwhelmingly after bribing voters using drug money. Indeed, citizens
are affected adversely by the selfish actions of self-serving leaders such as Seymour.

Bembe, the Inspector General of police, is a self-seeking leader and as a result he

creates many problems for the citizens of Maracas Municipality. Ironically, the
Inspector General of police is accused of an array of crimes ranging from corruption,
violation of human rights, drug peddling and extortion(p38). His hotel, Madingo Golf
Club, is built on Maracas University land which is public land(P40). Bembe is corrupt
since the hotel was built with money obtained from proceeds of corruption. He has
transformed the police force into his own outfit for collecting bribes from the guilty
and innocent alike. His hotel is now known as Motorists Highway Hotel owing to the
fact that his officers collect bribes from motorists every day(P41). He is also involved
in gang violence as a member of Ghettoboyz gang. Together with Mossi, he organized
the senseless chaos and violence, in a bid to avert the vote of no confidence motion
against Mossi who had promised to help him concerning his grabbed land(P45).
Bembe also arrests an innocent Ms. Nicole on baseless trumped up charges of
disobeying authorities and stealing the school generator. He alleges her phone signal
was located at the scene of a murder(P94). On his order, two police officers violently
arrest Nicole, cuffing her and dragging her on the floor. All this unnecessary
harassment is an effort to conceal his criminal activities and avoid prosecution and
possible conviction. She is later acquitted and released unconditionally. Lastly,

19
Bembe misuses his power when he assigns a consignment of officers to support
Mossi’s Red Eagle Network to cause violence and chaos in the municipality. They
burn mattresses among other things thus degrading the environment. Surely such
selfish leaders like Bembe cause any problems which affect citizens.

Jaden is the principal judge in Maracas Municipality but many citizens suffer because
he is selfish. The justice system in Maracas is flawed. Ted King insinuates that with
enough money, one can easily influence investigators, lawyers, prosecutors and
judges( P33). The courts in Maracas are undependable since they follow the money
more often than they follow justice(P44). The courts cannot prosecute the corrupt
inept leaders since the judges are part of the syndicate. In fact, they are worse than
temple robbers!(P67). Because of selfish leaders like Jaden, Maracas is undergoing
destruction because there is no justice in the law courts(P91). Justice Jaden claims that
he does not operate in a vacuum hence his thinking and action is influenced by the
ethos operating in the society(P116). A company linked to him - Prime Orchard Farm
- is linked to the rats and other rodents scandal. He is a shareholder in the
company(P105). He sends his mistress Ivy to Mossi to secure a contract of killing rats
and other rodents ravaging rice and cornfields in the municipality. When members of
the municipal council reject the contract and insist on a competitive bidding, Jaden
rules in the favor of Ivy's company, Vertebrae Pest Control, a subsidiary of Prime
Orchard Limited(P106-107). He says single sourcing was permissible in the public
interest but in reality, it is only due to his avarice. His company Prime Orchard Farm,
reared rats to undermine the production of corn in order to increase the demand for
imported grains. Prime Orchard Farm is one of the largest importers of corn in the
municipality. When Prime Orchard Farm is sued for being the source of rodents, he
rules in favour of the company claiming that rodents are a normal phenomena. The
cats they rear at the farm become wild and they eat chickens instead of rodents. Jaden

20
also uses his office to amass a fortune for himself. Surely, selfish leaders like Justice
Jaden create an array of problems that affect the citizens.

In conclusion, many of the problems facing citizens are creations of self-serving

leaders like Mossi, Bembe and Ramdaye among others.

5. People who engage in wrongdoing cannot escape from the consequences of

their actions. Write an essay to support this claim basing your illustrations
on John Lara’s The Samaritan.

Some people take part in illegal or dishonest deeds hoping that they will get away
with it. Such misconduct usually leads to serious consequences. Characters like
Bembe and Jaden engage in crime but when their sins are exposed they face
repercussions and try as they may, they do not escape the long arm of the law.

Inspector Bembe takes part in an array of criminal activities including corruption and
violation of human rights among others but eventually he pays for it. When he learns
that he has been exposed on The Samaritan, he suggests that they should threaten
some of the journalists(P22). Bembe is an evil man who is always secretive about his
private affairs, so he is shocked to learn that people know about his hotel, Madingo
Golf Club(P28). He suggests that they ban The Samaritan App(P27). He is accused of
corruption, violation of human rights, drug peddling and extortion(P39). This exposé
makes him drift into a coma since he has issues with his blood sugar(P38). ‘The
Caribbean Watch' newspaper claims that Bembe’s hotel and home are built on
Maracas University land - which is public land. A lobby group is moving to court to
have the land restored to the university. When Bembe learns of this, he breathes
heavily while trembling. He sunk all his life savings in putting up the hotel and the
home, and he is retiring in a few months time. Apart from that, Bembe is also a
member of a shadowy gang - Ghettoboyz - that robs people. His hotel is called

21
Motorists Highway Hotel since it was built with bribes collected from motorists. He
has converted the municipal police force into a personal outfit for collecting bribes
from the innocent and the guilty alike. Furthermore, he arrests Ms. Nicole on
fabricated charges of stealing the school generator and disobeying
authorities(P95,100). He orders his two officers to arrest Nicole. They cuff her and
drag her on the floor. She is, however, released and the case dismissed. Bembe tells
Mossi that they are doomed. He prefers to die than to be a derelict or an inmate. He
asks the lord to have mercy on him. He suffers from a runny stomach. He cannot last a
week in prison because he is diabetic. These are his last days, he says(P99). When
she’s arrested, Nicole gets support from touts, hawkers, students, women and men of
all walks of life.(P100.) Later, he apologises to Nicole. Claiming the arrest was a
misunderstanding he admits his mistake and begs for forgiveness (131-132). He is
later arrested. Trying to escape the dragnet, he staggers and almost falls as he
struggles to take cover (P138). Clearly, no one can escape from the consequences of
their actions.

Justice Ian Jaden pays for his sins after abusing his office and engaging in a number of
unethical acts. He is a corrupt judge who thought he could get away with his misdeeds
for he posits that you can fly into enemy territory and get away with it provided you
do it below the radar. That what matters is not what you do but how you do it. He
thinks that since he is educated and strategic he can beat the system and escape Scot
free(P29). Jaden is unethical since his relatives are involved in doing business with the
municipal council(P69). Jaden’s company, Prime Orchard Farm, is involved in a fraud
case dubbed the ‘grain scandal’(P102). He is fraudulently awarded a contract for
killing rats and other rodents ravaging rice and corn fields in the municipality(P106).
He gets the contract through single sourcing rather than competitive bidding. Jaden
then rules that given the urgency to safeguard the grains, single sourcing was
permissible in the public interest(P107). He also rules in the favor of prime orchard

22
farm when the company is sued for being the source of destructive rodents in the
municipality(P108). Jaden takes bribes from litigants to determine cases in their
favour and uses his office to amass a fortune for himself. When he is exposed, he
suffers stomach ulcers and hallucinations when he starts seeing huge smelly sewer
rats. He also helped some friends by making biased rulings in their favor as an
interested party and he was given shares in the company as a reward for this illegality.
He is now in a dilemma since the mayor is suing the said company. He suffers a
myriad of challenges including seeing rats and other rodents running all over the
place, catching the smell of sewer rats, wanting to throw up, stomach aches and
having more severe ulcers(P116). He organizes a meeting with other leaders hoping to
escape the risk of prosecution. His suggestions about double jeopardy or a temporal
ban of the Samaritan app also hit a snag(P123). His attempt to lure Ms. Nicole with
the promise of a plum position as the director general in the municipality is also
futile(P134). He is arrested by Tajo, The anti corruption boss. He tries to crouch under
the boardroom table to avoid arrest(P138). Indeed, no one can escape from the
repercussions of their actions.

Mayor Mossi involves himself in dishonest deeds and inevitably faces the
ramifications with actions. He is accused of many crimes including municipal capture
- which is the worst form of corruption and abuse of office, in which his private
interests determine the direction of public policy(P39). When he learns that The
Samaritan app could be used to expose the rot in the municipal procurement process,
he declines to launch it claiming that the municipal leaders need time to reflect on the
implications of the app(P15). He even instructs Nicole to write to the officials
concerning his reservations(P18) and oders Ms. Nicole and Ms. Narine to halt any
activity concerning the app in a bid to conceal the illegalities the leaders are engaged
in(P16). He convenes meetings with other leaders in an effort to escape the
consequences of his actions(P20). He also asks Harvester to buy all newspapers from

23
all vendors using public funds, since they contain damaging information about the
leaders(P21,41). After a disagreement, Seymour and others want to move a vote of no
confidence in Mossi. Mossi loses consciousness when he learns that he may end up in
the uninhabitable Baneta Express Prison(P38). He also plans to use press conferences
to fight the allegations against him(P43). Mayor Mossi admits taking part in an ethical
deeds(P60). However, he tries to downplay his role in the plunder of public resources
when he says that unlike other leaders who gobble up the loaf meant for the people, he
only takes a slice or two or three(P68-69). He wants Nicole to prevail over the kids
who made the Samaritan to eliminate some negative information about him on the
app(P60). The corrupt mayor even has the audacity to offer Nicole and the children a
bribe claiming that everybody needs money(P61). On the issue of development, he is
accused of inflating the cost of projects and overseeing shoddy municipal works.
When Nicole refuses to budge, he accuses the people of electing evil people into
public office and later on whining(P71). He also orders Nicole to delete every post
that casts him in negative light on the Samaritan App(P73). Mossi tries to lure Nicole
with a plum job and promises of changes in the municipality for example; that public
resources will no longer be stolen, justice will be served and not preserved for the
rich, the police will stand with the innocent and not the crooks or lawbreakers and
lawmakers will promote public interests rather than feathering their own nests(P133-
134). Mayor Mossi pays for his immorality when he is arrested by Tajo, the anti-
corruption chief. He tries to hide behind Nicole, when Tajo declares that he was there
to escort them to the anti-corruption headquarters(P138). Indeed, wrongdoers cannot
escape the ramifications of their actions.

Hon. Seymour also engages in a number of criminal activities and ultimately faces the
consequences of his actions. He is the municipal secretary in charge of planning and
development(P20). He is accused alongside Hon. Ted of supplying air. Their
companies bill the municipal council huge sums of money every month but they do

24
not render any services. This illegality is exposed on the Samaritan app(P24).
Springing to his feet with clenched fists, Seymour declares that no one can write that
kind of stuff about him. In a trembling voice, he says that those are fake documents
and declares war against those behind the allegations(P25). He suggests that they
think creatively about a way to stop the Samaritans App(P27), or the need to rely on
Justice Jaden should the matter escalate to court(P29). He also suggests that they
persuade Alvita and Montano to drop the matter(P30) or simply use public money
from the municipal fund through reallocation of budget line items to fight the
cases(P32-33). This money, according to Ted, could be used to take care of
investigators, lawyers prosecutors and judges(P33). Seymour makes it clear that the
money will be used to fight off cases against them, but they can justify the relocation
on the ostensible need to fix the problem of the terrible waste disposal system, which
is a serious health hazard(P33). This is illegal. Seymour was elected as a poor and
jigger-infested hoodlum but now he lives like a king in grandiose villas and drives
swanky cars thanks to stealing public money(P35). In the department of planning and
development, he is behind the protracted delays in the issue of building approvals, and
one needs to part with dollars in order to get building plans. They rotten inspectorate
unit under him approves improper buildings as long as you part with dollars(P66). His
law degree was printed downtown(P66). He also leads the murderous Black Swan
Gang which is responsible for shootings and violence and disappearance of people.
Seymour takes part in the selling of narcotics and this has ruined the lives of many
people(P67). As a result, his eldest son is always at the rehab, the other one is always
inebriated at the casino and the wife is a perpetual drunk(P70). He faces the
consequences of his actions when he is arrested by Tajo, the head of the Anti-
corruption Bureau. He shuffles on his feet in confusion when the policeman
introduces himself. He is handcuffed by uniformed police officers, bundled out and
escorted to the anti-corruption headquarters(P138). Clearly, an ethical people cannot
escape from the ramifications of their misdeeds.

25
Ramdaye, the deputy mayor, is a leader that takes part in dishonest deeds but
eventually pays for his imprudence. Despite being a leader, Ramdaye is a notorious
swindler. He sells Bembe public land that belongs to Maracas University. That is how
he has earned his livelihood for all these years. He has ruined the lives of countless
people through his greed(P42). Only his companies and those of his relatives win
tenders for the road construction, construction of bridges, drains and water courses.
They misappropriate the funds and do a shoddy job(P63). Ramdaye also swindles
people by printing ten title deeds for the same plot and selling it to ten different
people(P63). He is a corrupt and dishonest leader since he is bribed by Ivy in order to
keep mum about the rodent gate affair. He is also made a shareholder of Prime
Orchard Limited. Eventually, he faces the consequences of his actions when he is
arrested by Tajo, who is in charge of anti-corruption. Ramdaye shuffles around on his
feet in confusion before two uniformed officers handcuff him and bundle him out of
the room. Truly, one cannot escape from the consequences of their actions.

In conclusion, it is clear to see that when one engages in unethical acts for example
corruption, gang involvement, nepotism etc. they cannot escape punishment.
Ultimately, they pay for their sins.

6. Those who unite only for selfish reasons are bound to fail. Making
reference to John Lara’s The Samaritan, write an essay to support this
statement.

Some people only come together for the common purpose of pursuing their selfish
interests. Such people are always unsuccessful in achieving their goal. In The
Samaritan, Mossi and other leaders only unite in an effort save their skins from the
exposé on The Samaritan app in order to avoid possible conviction but their meetings
end in disarray and ultimately they fail to achieve their common goal.

26
Mayor Mossi unites with other key leaders in the municipal administration with the
aim of saving their skins in the wake of damaging revelations about them in the media
but this unity proves futile in the long run. The mayor convenes an urgent meeting
when he learns that the leaders had been exposed on the Samaritan app and
newspapers such as “The Insight” whose headline screams: ‘Rot in Maracas
Municipal Council Exposed’(P21). Mossi refused to launch the Samaritan app when
he figured out the innovation may be a problem for the leaders(P23). The app can be
used to expose corruption and other vices and agitate for prosecution of the
culprits(P23). The main aim of this unity is to attempt to avert possible prosecution
and conviction. Seymour suggests that they have a conversation with those posting on
the app and pay them to stop(P24). He also suggests that Jaden helps them in case the
issue escalates to court. Mossi insist that they must work together since they all have
some skeletons in the closet(P29). Seymour insists they should mobilize enough
money to fight any impending cases(P31). He avers that they should get their money
from the municipal fund and Ted says they can use it to pay investigators, lawyers,
prosecutors, and judges(P33). He says they could justify the reallocation by claiming
it would be used to fix the waste disposal system which poses a health hazard but
Mossi dismisses him saying it was against the law. The meeting degenerates into a
spat pitting Mossi against Ted and Seymour. They accuse each other of several
crimes. Seymour and Ted threaten to hound Mossi out of office but he cautions them
that he is “The smoke that thunders”. Eventually, they fail to stop the Samaritan app
or the prosecution since they are arrested in the long run. Clearly, coming together for
selfish reasons bears no fruit.

Mossi brings together his dependable allies so that they could agree on the handling of
the Samaritan crisis which had snowballed into a huge nightmare for them (P37) but
this unity of convenience proves futile. Mossi, Bembe and Harvester meets in the
Jungle room at the Madingo Golf Club. Each one of them is accused of many

27
misdeeds and the purpose of their unity is to try and escape the dragnet. Bembe is
accused of countless cases of corruption, violation of human rights, drug peddling and
extortion(P38). Harvester is accused of many crimes of abuse of office including
doing letters banning the use of apps and directing the ICT officer to take steps
against suspect apps(P38). On the other hand, Mossi is accused of many crimes
particularly municipal capture which is the worst form of corruption and abuse of
office where private interests determine the direction of public policy(P39). Harvester
is also accused of using public funds to purchase all newspapers following Mossi
orders(P40). “The Caribbean Watch” newspaper alleges that Bembe’s hotel and home
are built on Maracas University land and a lobby group is moving to court to have the
land restored back to the university(P40). He is also accused of being a member of
Ghettoboyz gang which robs people. He has further converted the municipal police
force into his personal outfit for collecting bribes and his hotel which is now dubbed
‘Motorists Highway Hotel’ was built with bribes collected from motorists(P41). This
trio convenes for several selfish reasons: Saving Bembe’s land from his repossession,
saving Mossi from being ejected from office through a vote of no confidence, and
escaping retribution following the exposure on the Samaritan app. They plan to
arrange for press conferences to give the impression that the municipal council is
running normally(P43). The most important and urgent problem according to Mossi is
dealing with the vote of no confidence in him(P43). They raise a number of solutions
including arresting the sponsors of the motion, stopping the move in court, mobilizing
Mossi’s political base to defeat the motion on the floor, and funding gangs - Red
Eagle Network and Ghettoboyz - and undercover police officers to disrupt the meeting
at the municipal headquarters(P44-47). They plan to deal with the Samaritan by either
talking to Ms Nicole or blackmailing her by accusing her of stealing school property
including a computer or a generator(P47). They also plan to talk to Jaden to jail
Ramdaye, Seymour and Ted(P47). They fail terribly. They are unable to stop the
Samaritan, the judge dismisses Nicole’s case and sets her free(P100), Bembe is badly

28
embarrassed when the fools he sent to steal the generator are unsuccessful in their
endeavour, and he has been summoned to the headquarters in the capital by his
bosses. The vote of no confidence is still on as Ramdaye and his group are regrouping
to have a massive rally at Atobold stadium(P101). Also, the Anti-Corruption
Investigation Bureau is on to them(P102). Ultimately, they fail to stop the
prosecutions as they are all arrested. Surely, coming together only for selfish reasons
is pointless.

Hon Ramdaye, Hon Seymour and Hon Ted also meet to mobilize the entire municipal
council to pass the no confidence motion against Mayor Mossi(P75). Ramdaye was
also in talks with Basdeo who was is to work with them(P80). The purpose of this
unity is to form a coalition for their own selfish reasons and also to avoid prosecution
after being exposed on the Samaritan app. They meet in the Sky Room at the Madingo
golf club. Seymour and Ted are accused of supplying air; there is public outcry over
companies that bill the municipal council huge sums of money every month but do not
render any services. These companies are linked to Seymour and Ted(P24). In order
to fight the impending prosecution, Seymour suggests that through a reallocation of
budget line items, they get money from the municipal fund. Ted says the fund can be
used to take care of the investigators, lawyers, prosecutors and judges(P32). They end
up disagreeing with Mossi who accuses them of notoriety over misallocation of funds:
from regular travels with enhanced allowances, sitting allowances of unnecessary
committee meetings, to loans, and mortgages(P34). Seymour and Mossi trade
accusations over questionable deeds committed by either of them. Seymour insists
that Mossi approves the supplementary budget or be ejected out of office(P35). This
group is meeting to advance the no confidence motion. Ted is tasked with talking to
councillors and Aldermen to seek their support. Basdeo is interested in forming a
coalition with the trio and all members of the mixed ethnicity. His condition is that
when Seymour becomes mayor, he should immediately appoint him the deputy

29
mayor(P80). The group is planning to have a massive rally on Wednesday at the
Atobold Stadium to rally the people against Mossi. Their alliance is a big failure since
Ted is on the phone all night but gets very little support from the councillors and
aldermen (P76). Even after canvassing, his overall assessment is that the situation is
not very good. It is difficult to know which direction the vote would go(P79). The
rally does not take place and they also fail to stop the Samaritan. They are arrested by
Tajo, the head of Anti-Corruption investigations Bureau. They are all handcuffed
bundled out and escorted to the anti-corruption headquarters for questioning. Indeed,
uniting for selfish reasons is bound to end up in failure.

Mossi and Bembe come together with Jaden with a view to fight back against
Ramdaye and company who are trying to remove Mossi from office but this unity is
fruitless in the end. Mossi desperately tries to stop the move to eject him from office.
He manages to send his goons from Red Eagle Network to abort a meeting of the
conspirators at the municipal headquarters and plans to use the same method to stop a
rally his enemies are planning(P101). When he leads the Anti-Corruption
Investigation Bureau is also involved, he posits that Justice Jaden holds the key out of
the mess. He intends to use the grain scandal to make the stiff-necked judge to
cooperate(P102). Mossi informs Jaden that he needs him to help him initiate cases
against Ramdaye and his team quickly and secure convictions as soon as possible,
preferably in a day, in order to derail the plan to remove him from office(P103).
Bembe adds that the judiciary is core in dealing with The Samaritan and Mossi is
willing to grease Jaden's palm(P104). Jaden is unwilling to play ball but they force his
hand by alluding to the rats and other rodents scandal. They remind Jaden that he is
also in the mess just like they, thanks to The Samaritan. They remind him of how rats
were reared in Prime Orchard Farm and released into corn and rice fields(P105). The
idea was to undermine the domestic production in order to increase demand for
imported grains because Prime Orchard Farm was one of the largest corn importers in

30
Maracas (P107). Mossi blackmails Jaden into an alliance with them by ordering
Bembe to arrest the owners of Prime Orchard Farm(P105). Jaden and his mistress Ivy
own the company as shareholders. Mossi and Bembe will only spare him on condition
that he convicts Ramdaye and Basdeo for the involvement in the grain scandal and he
jails Ted and Seymour for supplying air to the municipal council(P112). All this is a
selfish attempt to stop his removal from office and possible conviction. They fail
eventually since as much as Jaden eventually agrees to work with them, their union
bears no fruit since they fail to stop activities of The Samaritan and are arrested by the
anti-corruption boss Tajo. They are handcuffed and manhandled by two uniformed
officers accompanying Tajo(P138). Surely, uniting in pursuit of selfish goals is clearly
futile.

Justice Jaden sets up a meeting with Harvester for his own selfish reasons but he fails
in the end. He is in a mess and it concerns The Samaritan(P114). He insists that they
must find a way of helping each other since each of them is in hot soup(P115). Mossi
has instructed the municipal council to file cases against Ramdaye, Seymour, Ted and
Basdeo in order to forestall the vote of no confidence(P115). Jaden is in a dilemma
because he is also entangled in the case(P116). He made a biased ruling and was paid
using shares of a company the municipal council is suing. Jaden proposes an
alternative dispute resolution. He says that Mayor Mossi, Basdeo and others come
together to talk to one another since none of them is clean. He suggests that they
secure a truce in order to deal with The Samaritan as a united force(P118-119). The
leaders meet at the Chamber of the principal judge for a meeting convened by Jaden
purposely to save their skins from the Samaritan(P120). Each of them is exposed on
The Samaritan for engaging in a number of crimes. The leaders fail to agree on the
real problems facing them and most of them give selfish responses, for example:
Mossi says the problem is his impending removal from office, Seymour talks of
Mossi’s refusal to give them municipal funds, Harvester blames the Samaritan,

31
Bembe talks about the school kids, Basdeo alludes to the skeletons in the closet while
Jaden says the problem is the risk of persecution(P121). The leaders come up with
several suggestions in pursuit of redemption for example double jeopardy, temporal
halting of the use of The Samaritan app(P123) and even offering Nicole a powerful
position in the municipality(P125). Jaden is picked to speak to Nicole on their
behalf(P127). To their dismay, their plan is unsuccessful since Nicole declines to take
up the position of director general(P134-137). She says they don’t need new laws,
positions, or offices but a change of heart or spirit among the people and especially
the leaders. She blames the leaders for breaking the law and pursuing the selfish
interests at the expense of their people(P137). A commotion ensues when the anti-
corruption chief walks in. Their ploy fails because they cannot not stop The Samaritan
despite their best efforts instead they are arrested and frog marched to the anti-
corruption headquarters for questioning. When people unite for the sole purpose of
securing their selfish needs they fail.

In conclusion, coming together for selfish reasons is pointless. The self-seeking

leaders come together for their own selfish reasons but they fail. Despite their
endeavour, their chickens come home to roost.

7. Change can be initiated through the effort of ordinary citizens. Closely

referring to Nicole in The Samaritan by John Lara, write an essay to
support this statement.

Some people may come off as normal and not different or special in any way.
However, through their determined attempts such people are capable of bringing
change. In John Lara’s The Samaritan, Nicole, a simple teacher, ignites change in
Maracas Municipality when she midwifes the idea of The Samaritan app.

32
Ms Nicole inspires Alvita in Montano to invent the Samaritan app, an innovation that
helps to institute change in Maracas Municipality. She is the teacher in charge of
innovation and a mentor to the two students(P55). She midwifes the students’ idea and
also guides them, in her role as a teacher and a mentor(P56). Alvita and Montano are
to be awarded a prize for creating the winning innovation at the Secondary Schools’
National Innovation Competition(P1). The official launch is graced by the mayor
Mossi-oa-Tunya, other distinguished leaders, members of the school board, the
principal and teachers(P2). Nicole’s efforts in mentoring the students who invented
The Samaritan app is invaluable since the innovation can be useful in initiating
change by protecting the environment. People can provide details of the location and
people involved in illegal activities that degrade the environment by sharing photos
and videos. Officials can then log in and see the reports(P11). The Samaritan can also
bring about change by ensuring proper use of public resources. People can share
information about the municipal procurement process that is what the municipal is
procuring, how the tenders are awarded, who wins the tenders et cetera. This can
bring change since the information is pigeonholed with the Crimes and Integrity
Commission(P12). Ordinary people volunteer information that advances public
good(P13). Although the mayor declines to launch The Samaritan, it will still be
launched by the president when schools reopen(P16). The app was assessed by senior
officials at the Ministry of Education together with experienced software engineers
and given a clean bill of health(P17). Although it was the brainchild of the two school
children guided by Ms. Nicole, the ethics and innovations teacher, it has been taken
over by the National Information and Communication Technology Corporation(P18).
Indeed, the efforts of ordinary citizens can bring about change.

As a result of Ms Nicole’s effort, the Samaritan app is used by the people to expose
the rot in the municipality and help in prosecution of the culprits and this sends the
leaders into a panic. People can share information on the conduct of municipal

33
affairs(P23). It is also used in promoting public good by exposing corruption and
other vices and agitating for the prosecution of the culprits(P23). It has been used to
expose vices such as supply of air, drug trafficking, grabbing public land, inflation of
cost of municipal projects, use of proxies to secure tenders, undertaking shoddy public
works, murder and gang warfare. The information on the people and companies
involved is very detailed(P25). The information includes the culprit’s personal details
for example the lifestyles of the individual municipal leaders, where they live and the
properties they own like houses, vehicles and businesses(P26). A lobby group,
comprising of lawyers, called The Samaritans is calling upon people to volunteer as
witnesses and helping the prosecution of those involved in corruption and abuse of
office. They are also trying to petition the local government minister, the prime
minister and the chief justice to take action(P26-27). Because of Ms Nicole’s tireless
effort, people have an excellent platform to expose corrupt leaders, leading to their
prosecution and conviction. Surely, change can be instigated through the efforts of
ordinary people like Ms Nicole.

Ms Nicole’s effort help the reporters and editors in the mainstream media to gather
enough information on the municipal leaders setting in motion the wheels of change.
The focus of the local newspapers is on the municipal leaders and the stories are
extremely damaging(P21-22). Mossi asks Harvester to buy all newspapers from the
vendors as early as possible for it was in their best interest. Newspapers like The
Caribbean Watch, The Seninel, The Insight and The Spotlight all talk about the
municipal council as a criminal enterprise, the leaders being stripped naked, the rot in
the municipality and a call for imprisonment of the leaders. Such headlines have been
published every day for the last one month. Ted wonders if such headlines are
unusual, Jaden suggests that they should give the reporters more boxes of chocolates
while Bembe avers that they should threaten some of them. The Samaritan app is the
source of the information in the newspapers(P22). There is a damaging story about

34
Harvester in the newspaper about the misuse of public funds when Mossi instructed
him to buy all newspapers using public funds. The Sentinel highlights a vicious duel
between Mossi and Seymour. The Caribbean Watch has damaging information about
Bembe. They claim his hotel and his home are built on public land, he is a member of
Ghettoboyz, a shadowy gang that robs people, he has converted the municipal police
force into his own personal outfit and he collects bribes from motorists(P40-41). All
this information in the mainstream media is sourced from the Samaritan app. It is
through Ms Nicole’s effort that such rot is exposed. Surely, ordinary people can be
agents of change through their tireless endeavor.

Ms Nicole initiates change in Maracas Municipality through her lessons on morality,

ethics and the perils of disobedience at Sagrada Secondary School . She is the ethics
and innovation teacher at the school(P3). She always does what she thinks is
rights(P18). Teachers like Ms Nicole try their best to mold the characters of their
learners. They teach them to uphold the moral and civic virtues without which society
can never prosper, be fair, just and peaceful. She teaches them virtues of honesty,
truthfulness, generosity, integrity and transparency. This can help bring change since
it is the lack of virtue that is ruining the society. Teachers also strive to develop
virtuous creative thinkers and innovators(P72). She also teaches the learners to be
organized. She tells her learners that everything has to be well-organized and neat
since a disorganized mind cannot plan. She teaches her class about the heart having
two spirits - the good and the bad. The good spirit obeys while the bad spirit disobeys
and leads to destruction(P87-88). She cautions the students about the perils of
disobedience. The fall of Jerusalem and the temple were as a result of the people
disobeying the Creator. This happened in the Ancient Near East in 587 BC(P90). The
acts of disobedience in society today include corruption, murder, theft, lies and sexual
perversion(P90). The evil spirit is prevalent in society today and Maracas
Municipality is undergoing destruction as a result of lack of drugs in hospitals because

35
of theft, bribery in the police force and travesty of justice in the law courts(P91). Ms
Nicole asks the students to reject the spirit of the beast and resist all those being
controlled by this spirit since consequences of disobedience are inescapable for both
the society and the individual who disobeys(P91). Ms Nicole’s effort to guide the
learners to be morally upright is laudable. This will help change the behaviour of the
citizens of Maracas Municipality. Indeed, efforts of ordinary people can cause change
in the society.

Nicole’s effort jolts the leaders into talking about change in the municipality. Ms
Nicole is an ordinary teacher but she wields massive influence because of her
determined effort. Mossi visits her in school and begs her to help him regarding The
Samaritan. Bembe also tries to intimidate her by arresting her on trumped up charges
of stealing the school generator and disobeying authorities. People from all walks of
life including touts and hawkers show up to support Nicole when she is arrested. They
were mobilized through the Samaritan app. Nicole is a force to reckon with since
people displayed the solidarity never before witnessed in Maracas Municipality.
Bembe is also summoned by his bosses for this folly. Bembe and Mossi later visit
Nicole and apologise. Nicole rejects Ted’s offer of a golden ring. The leaders now
claim that there is need for drastic change. Ms Nicole says that her role in the new
order is that she owes the municipality and the country is civic duty. She is ready to
work with patriotic citizens to enhance transparency and accountability(P133). Mossi
claims that the municipality was going to embrace change whereby public resources
will never be stolen, justice will be served, police will stand with the innocent and law
makers will promote public interest(P133-134). Due to Nicole’s influence, she is
offered a new position as the director general in the municipal council where she will
be a consultant with oversight powers over all the departments in the municipality and
will be answerable only to the mayor(P135). Nicole says that they do not need new
offices or positions. She says that the change they desire is the change of heart and

36
spirit among the people but mostly among the leaders(P135). That is taking
responsibility for the well-being of the municipality and abiding by the laws(P135-
136). She blames the leaders for being interested in personal gains, dipping their
fingers into the public till and breaching the law. When the leaders are arrested, Alvita
echoes Nicole’s sentiments that you can never escape from the consequences of your
actions(P138). Surely, an ordinary person’s effort can initiate change in society.

Lastly, Ms Nicole champions for change when she advises her students to ape the
Samaritan in the Good Book by standing up for a cause that can bring a better
tomorrow for all of them(P52). When the Samaritan saw the injured Jew, despite
holding a different view on religion and the hostility that existed between Jews and
Samaritans, he treated the man with compassion, dressed his wounds and took him to
a safe place. This is unlike the priest and the Levite who did not stop to help the man.
Ms Nicole rightly posits that the leaders and public officials cannot come to the aid of
the people. They are like the priest and the Levite who ignored the injured Jew. They
talk about pursuing public interest but they are not committed. They are shepherds
who have turned against the sheep. Ms Nicole points out that it is up to all of them,
ordinary citizens, without any claim to any office, to be one another’s keepers and to
take care of one another(P51). Ordinary citizens can be there for one another through
the Samaritan app which is an excellent platform(P51). It gives everyone an
opportunity to speak out against wrongdoing, share ideas that would make life better,
do the right thing and take responsibility for the progress of the municipality. She
assures Alvita and Montano that the Samaritan will change the course of history and
urges them to strive to improve their lives and not chicken out at every obstacle or
threat(P52). Surely, through the efforts of ordinary people we can witness change.

In conclusion, ordinary people like Nicole can institute change. She inspires others
like Alvita, Montano, the reporters and editors, the hawkers and touts to agitate for

37
change. Although she is a simple teacher, she is a beacon of change in Maracas
Municipality.

8. Using public funds to enrich oneself cannot bring true happiness. Write an
essay in support of this statement, citing illustrations from John Lara's
The Samaritan.

Some people use money meant to be invested in the public sector to make themselves
wealthy or wealthier. This does not give them the fulfilling or satisfying feeling that
comes with true happiness. They may have the riches but they lack the peace and
harmony of body, mind and soul. In The Samaritan by John Lara, leaders like Ted and
Seymour use public funds to enrich themselves but this does not give them true
happiness.

Jaden uses public funds to enrich himself but this does not give him true happiness.
Justice Ian Jaden is the principal judge in Maracas Municipality. He has countless
mistresses and relatives doing business with the municipal council(P69). Together
with his mistress Ivy, he is involved in the grain scandal. He uses his position to
compel Mossi to award Ivy a contract for killing rats and other rodents ravaging rice
and cornfields in the municipality(P106). His company, Prime Orchard Farm, was
rearing rats which were let loose into the farms. They would then kill and parade some
but the whole idea was to undermine domestic production in order to increase demand
for imported grains. Prime Orchard Farm is one of the largest corn importers in the
municipality(P107). To Jaden, using his public office to amass a fortune for himself
seemed a normal thing since everybody else was doing it. Litigants gave him money
and he ruled kisses in their favour. It worked and he accumulated wealth. He looked
forward to retiring soon and enjoying the fruits of his labour. He is like the foolish
rich man in the good book who also prepared to retire and enjoy his wealth(P112).
Instead of enjoying, he suffers. He holds his stomach with both hands while bending

38
down. He suffers from stomach ulcers and hallucinations. Mossi wants him to jail
Ramdaye and his team but this puts Jaden in a dilemma because he helped some
friends by making a biased ruling and they paid him by giving him shares in a
company the municipal council is suing. He claims the ethos operating in society
influences his thinking and action as a judge(P116). He does not enjoy true happiness
even after amassing wealth. He has been tormented by the issue of the rodents. He has
been seeing rats and other rodents running all over the place and he has been catching
the awful smell of sewer rats which makes him want to throw up. His stomach aches.
His ulcers have since worsened(P117). Justice Jaden crouches under the boardroom
table when accosted by Tajo, the anti-corruption boss(P138). Together with others, he
is handcuffed and bundled out by the police officers(P139). Truly, true happiness
cannot be found by stealing public wealth.

Bembe also uses public funds to make himself wealthy but this does not give him
satisfaction or fulfillment. People are wondering where he got the money to put up
Madingo Golf Club. He is shocked when he learns that people know it belongs to him
having kept his private affairs discreet(P26). He says that this is his worst nightmare.
This exposé comes at a time when he had just finished putting up his hotel and is as
broke as a church mouse(P31). He informs Mossi and Harvester about the high
likelihood of his untimely death anytime soon(P38). He found out from The
Samaritan that he is accused of corruption, violation of human rights, drug peddling
and extortion. This gives him the willies - a strong feeling of nervous discomfort - and
his blood sugar is not good. At one point he drifted into a coma(P38). His hotel and
home are also built on public land - Maracas University land. A lobby group is
moving to court to have it restored back to the university (P40). With a dreadful
expression on his face, Bembe says that that would be a very unfortunate joke(P40).
He breathes heavily and trembles. He also gets a little bit hard of hearing. He had put
all his life savings into the hotel and home since he is retiring in a few months

39
time(P41). The hotel was built with bribes collected from motorists. The municipal
police force is his personal outfit for collecting bribes from the guilty and innocent
alike. The officers do not enforce law and order. They collect bribes for Bembe(P41).
His foiled attempt to intimidate Nicole puts him in more trouble. She is acquitted but
he is summoned to the capital by his bosses to explain the folly(P100). He tells Mossi
that they are doomed. He prefers to die than be an inmate or a homeless person. His
stomach has been running since The Samaritan came to town. He cannot last a week
in prison since he is diabetic(P99). He has run out of ideas and wants to flee into the
mountains, dig a hole and live there(P100). He does not enjoy his ill-gotten wealth
since he is eventually arrested by the anti corruption police. He staggers and almost
falls as he seeks cover but he is still handcuffed and bundled out like a criminal.
Indeed, stealing public wealth causes misery not true happiness.

Seymour, the secretary in charge of planning and development, uses public funds to
enrich himself but this does not give him true happiness. Mossi calls him a senseless
thief. He was elected just the other day as a poor and jigger-infested hoodlum. Now he
is living like a king in grandiose villas and mansions, eating delicacies in classy hotels
and driving state-of-the-art vehicles. He cannot justify his current financial status.
Mossi wonders who doesn’t know that he has stolen the money(P35). Seymour is
accused of supplying air to the municipal council. Their companies bill the municipal
council huge sums of money every month without rendering any services(P24). To
cover up, he suggests they get money from the municipal fund through reallocation of
budget line items(P33). They could use the problem of the waste disposal system
which is in a terrible state to justify the reallocation but use the money to fight against
the prosecution(P33). In the past, he has misused public funds through regular travel
with enhanced allowances, sitting allowances for unnecessary committee meetings,
loans and mortgages(P34). In his department of planning and development, one has to
part with dollars to get building approval. The inspectorate unit under him is also

40
riddled with corruption(P66). Seymour does not get true happiness from his illicitly
acquired wealth. His eldest child is always at rehab, the other one is inebriated
permanently at the casino and the wife is total garbage and a perpetual drunk(P70). He
is also arrested by the anti-corruption police. He is handcuffed and bundled out of the
room. Surely, ill-gotten wealth can never be a source of true happiness.

Ted King acquires wealth illegally by stealing public funds but this does not bring him
true happiness. Mossi calls him a senseless thief. Ted is the secretary, Department of
Health and environment. He was elected just the other day as a poor and jigger-
infested hoodlum. Now he lives in grandiose villas and mansions like a king,
indulging in delicacies in classy hotels and drives state-of-the-art vehicles. He cannot
justify his financial status. He stole public money(P35). He is accused alongside
Seymour of supplying air to the municipal council. Their companies bill the municipal
council huge sums of money without rendering any service(P24). He supports
Seymour’s suggestion of using municipal funds to take care of investigators, lawyers,
prosecutors and judges(P33). He is infamous for forcing Mossi to misuse public funds
for regular travel with enhanced allowances , sitting allowances for unnecessary
committee meetings, loans and mortgages(P34). Despite having stolen a lot of public
funds, he cannot raise a meaningful amount to fight the cases that may be brought up
against them(P31). Ted is accused of “eating” a whole hospital. He ensured his
companies and those of his friends won the tenders for bids for construction of health
centres. He stole all the money budgeted for health centres and put up site offices that
looked like cowsheds(P64). Ted is now sickly despite accumulating wealth
illegally(P65). When he offers Nicole a golden ring, she declines and says that she
doesn't wear them. This is awkward and embarrassing (P132). Ted is later arrested by
the anti-corruption police. Indeed, stealing public funds to make one wealthy does not
make one truly happy.

41
Lastly, Mossi also enriches himself using proceeds of corruption but this does not
make him truly happy. Seymour tells Mossi that he will never get away with the
crimes committed under his watch. He says that Mossi knows how much he has
stolen(P34). When he learns that people can use the app to share information about
the municipal procurement process, he scratches his head thoughtfully, sips some
water and turns uncertainly towards the school principal and then Harvester. Mossi
refuses to launch the app(P21) and convenes a meeting of key leaders to fight the app
instead because the information posted casts the leaders in bad light(P23). Mossi
admits that all the leaders have some skeletons in their closet(P29). In the past, he has
conceded to endless demands of misallocation of public funds ranging from regular
travel with enhanced allowances, sitting allowances for unnecessary committee
meetings, loans and mortgages(P34). He temporarily loses consciousness when he
learns that his deputy, Seymour and Ted are working to bundle him out of office. He
fears they will send him to prison. He sees Baneta Express Prison any time he closes
his eyes. He can even smell the revolting stench in the cells though he has never been
there(P33). Mossi is accused of many crimes including municipal capture, which is
the worst form of corruption and abuse of office in which once private interests
determine the direction of public policy. Mossi is forced to own up his mistakes and
seek understanding and help from Ms Nicole, a simple school teacher(P60). He even
offers her and the students a bribe in his desperation(P61). Mossi admits that he steals
public wealth when he says that a loaf of bread for the people comes through him and
he takes three slices for himself because he is part of the people(P69). He is also
accused of inflating costs of municipal projects and presiding over shoddy municipal
works(P61). He is forced to apologize to Nicole for treading on her toes(P132). He is
also humiliated when she turns down the offer of the prestigious position of director
general in the municipal council(P135). When confronted by the police officers
arresting them, he tries to hide behind Nicole(P138). Clearly, stealing public funds to
make one wealthy does not bring true happiness or satisfaction.

42
In conclusion, those who steal public funds do not find joy or fulfillment, instead they
constantly worry about how they can protect their ill-gotten wealth.

9. Corruption molds suspicious leaders who will always work towards

escaping punishment rather than working towards the progress of their
nations. Using illustrations from The Samaritan by John Lara, write a
composition.

In The Samaritan, Ramdaye, Seymour, and Ted are some of the leaders who exhibit
dirty ways of accruing wealth at the expense of citizens.

Leaders bribe when they want to gain power or maintain their position in the
municipal. Jaden, Ted, Harvester, Seymour, Basdeo, and Mossi are some of the
Municipality leaders that feel threatened by the Samaritan App. They decide to
assemble with Judge Jayden and plan on how to hinder the public exposure that is
threatening their positions. Mossi thinks of bribing Nicole whom he believes is key in
controlling the app. He suggests that she takes a position of the Director General of
the Marcas Municipality so that she serves as a consultant whose overall power over
the entire departments in the municipality will be under him and therefore he will only
be answerable to the Mayor (P.135). Nicole points out that this is a possible bribe.
Basdeo and Seymour suggest that they should give her the position which will win her
to their side (P.125). The bribery that dominates the play is as a result of need to
maintain leadership.

Leaders too use violence to maintain their positions. When Nicole seems not to badge
by making an end to the Samaritan app, the Municipal leadership promise that she
will experience the worst time. She is later mishandled when she seems determined
with her course. Mayor Ramdaye, Seymour, and Ted organize a meeting with a goal
of passing a vote of no confidence in The Mayor and Mossi. During the meeting The
Mayor suggests that they mobilize Red Eagle network, violent young supports to

43
ensure the Municipal headquarters are a no-go zone (p.45).He even boasts that the
head of this violent group is coordinator of his political network. Satirically, he is
ready to pay the youths and buy polythene papers, tires, sacks, and mattresses that the
group will burn all over the town so as to scare anyone who may want to curtail their
activities. Ramdaye indeed testifies the use of power, violence and intimidation in the
next meeting where he says he never knew The Mayor was such a violent fellow
(P.74). Even Ted shares that one of the youths targeted to hit his head with a rock and
that some people held very large stones. Seymour too shares that the operation they
experienced was almost a military-like one and so Ramdaye had to run for his life
regardless of his old age.AS seen, the desire to maintain power forces leaders to apply
violence to get to leadership.

Leaders use propaganda to get to or maintain power. Seymour tells his team to justify
reallocation of finds in the council by capitalizing on the misinformation of presence
of a lot of garbage in the municipal, yet in truth he intends to have that money help
them pay off against impending cases (p.33). Mossi, The Mayor attempts to dismiss
The Samaritan App by fabricating stories about what it has actually done. He says this
tool is a spy app which could result in exposure of bank details. He even says it is
creating crime such as sharing of pornographic details and theft (P.27). He goes
further to say the previous year anonymous individuals claimed he had died by
sending a text message on the social media and he later could have died out of
swallowing a toothpick (P.16). Mossi wants Harvester to make a statement addressing
the media and deny ever rejecting to present an award to the students at grade
Secondary School. He wants them to cheat that the plants on the prizing are in the
pipeline. The

Municipal team agrees to fix and blackmail Nicole whom they suspect in behind The
Samaritan App by sending someone to stead the generator or even a computer or

44
school furniture than pin it on her (P.47). All the propaganda in the play results from
the interest of leaders in maintaining their posts.

Leaders too use threats and manipulation maintains their positions. When Nicole
seems not to badge by making an end to the Samaritan app, the Municipal leadership
under The Mayor chose to go further as to arrest and judge her. Bembe had suggested
this earlier and indeed she is charged with stealing a school generator. Bembe receives
a lot of money from the council yet he does not render the services required that is
why he fights to help the rest of the leaders win in the current times. Students realize
that their teacher will have the worst time and so when they come to her house they
refer to The Mayor’s ultimatum the last time he came to school (P.49).Alvita and
Montano know their teacher will soon be in trouble. Even the principal feels

Nicole will be in trouble if she does not comply to the demands of the leaders in the

Municipal(P.56).Mossi himself walks into the school, meets both the principal and
Nicole with the mission of threatening her. He tells her to call him once she has
started monitoring and deleting all negative posts on it of else face the wrath of
Mossi-oa-Tunya that thunders (P.73). They even make her appear as a thief so that she
is guilty and is jailed. Indeed, every threat seen in this play is aimed at maintaining
power.

Overall, the leaders including The Mayor, Seymour, Bembe, and Basdeo in The
Samaritan are presented are afraid of losing power and the only way to maintain it is
through bribery, threats and intimidation, violence, or fabricated propaganda.

10. Hope is the mother of success is proven to be a true statement in John

Lara’s The Samaritan, write an essay to justify this. or However bad a
situation is, hope saves the day.

In The Samaritan, Nicole encounters trouble and the worst moments after the
Samaritan App is popular, but she relies on optimism even when the leaders of the

45
Municipal think they will destroy her to survive the harsh experience. Among other
illustrations of hope are the presentation by the students, the rampant corruption in the
municipal, and the frustrations the principal experiences.

Nicole is in trouble and hangs on a straw when the Samaritan App is popular, yet she
relies on hope to win. Once Mossi comes to Sagrada Secondary school for Awarding
and listens to Alvita and Montano present what the app can do, he calls off
everything. He even says he will write a letter to Nicole indicating reservations for the
app and asking her to leave everything to him (P.17). The principal forewarns Mossi
about such an action knowing how principled Nicole is and a kind of person that can
only do what she believes is right. The Mayor insists the Navine the principal must
ensure Nicole complies to the orders if she does not want trouble (P.19). Days later,
Montano and Alvita visit Nicole and discourage her from pursuing the App following
the ultimatum that The Mayor gave during closure of the school the previous year,
they wish and urge her to leave it. She hopes everything will work and even narrates
to them some of the outstanding stories in the bible. The principal is also worried
about Nicole and she tells her since they suspect she is behind the scene in attacking
their leadership; it is wise that she stays out of trouble so that he work is not
derailed(P.55) . She particularly refers to an analogy of daring an elephant into a
wrestling match and possibility of being tramples and tells her to set boundaries
between politics and school (P.57). Nicole still tells her the App has a good course
and it should not be eliminated. Mossi comes to school and convinces Nicole to
monitor the App or do away with it. When he realizes how firm Nicole is he even
claims she is behind the scene and threatens her to delete everything on it or have
trouble with Mossi-oa-Tunya the thundering smoke that never stops at nothing
(P.100). Nicole is later arrested after Bembe manages to steal the generator under The
Mayor’s directives (P.74). All in all, Nicole holds on hope and through Justice Jaden,
the case is dismissed when people turn up massively and demand that she be freed.

46
Navine, the school principal encounters too much pressure from the Municipal
leaders, however hope makes her successful. Mayor Mossi comes to school and when
the students present the idea of the App to him he dismisses it (P.15). He immediately
demands that the App be disqualified; hence the principal explains to him how the
president of the republic is already aiming to have the App launched at the national
level early next year when schools reopen and that preparations are ongoing. Mossi
adamantly rejects that and insists that since the app is under the school control they
should write to the president or find ways of eliminating it. The principal indicates
that so far the app has gone through the supervision of knowledgeable software
engineers, but the major is irritated and says that being a mayor the officials of
education are all under him anywhere in the country (P.17). The principal is frustrated
and discourages Nicole whom she refers to as a headstrong girl to give up on the App
because it is working against her experience, patience, and goals. She reminds her that
she is neither a house girl nor a secretary who should receive so many calls from the
municipal leadership. She thinks that it would be just and fair to the students is she
stopped pursuing the app including uploading information on anyone. Finally, the
little hoe wins as the Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau arrests Mayor Mossi and
other municipal leaders.

The presentation by the two students Montano and Alvita proves that regardless of
great challenges and desperation, there is hope in life. In the presentation Alvita is a
cobbler whose life is desperate having been battered by life. His nose is permanently
running. Montana sees this as luck because he has income unlike many youths who
roam in the streets and villages without a job. The country has a lot of graduates, cities
are polluted and the weather is unpredictable (P.5). With no rains, animals and plants
cannot survive and people eat strange insects, rodents and sea creatures for survival.
Some people eat synthetic fibers and even plastics. Life expectancy is 30 years due to
crime, malnutrition, and diseases (P.6). Alvita counters this desperation by defending

47
the future where an intelligent robot will replace professionals in enforcing justice and
offering services. The life-expectancy will be seven hundred years and drugs will be
there to regenerate body cells and maintain young age (p.8). Alvita shows how whole
factories, hospitals, and hotels are under the robotic management and that has
decongested towns. Robots are enhancing intellectual pursuits and technology is
clearing air of carbon emissions hence solving climatic changes and allowing rains to
come. The results happen because of The Samaritan App that is being launched in the
world. In this situation, Alicia’s vision presents hope in future.

There is rampant greed, corruption and misuse in the municipality to an extend that it
shows a hopeless situation, however, hope comes when these leaders are arrested.

GOOD LUCK

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