I have been studying evil for a while and wondering why it tends to be more successful than doing good, at least in the short run or temporarily.  I have always wondered why majority gravitate towards it and indulge in it despite its obvious penalties and the pain it puts on its victims.  During my observation, I noticed two distinct characteristics of evil that is so sweet that good people seem not to understand and maybe would like to replicate.   

First, evil requires patience and intelligence.  Evil plants seeds against the success of its victims instead of going directly.  It requires knowing how to plant the seed, knowing when to plant the seed, knowing where to plant the seed, and the patience to watch it grow against the unobserving victim.  In the United States, especially in the south, it is the day a Black person is employed that a seed is planted against him without his knowledge.  They will laugh with the Black man at work and even go eat lunch with him, but he will never know that there is a file opened against him.  That file may contain customer complains (lies) that are never discussed with him until evaluation period (maybe 9 months after the fact), things he said that were not socially accepted or were culturally different even if it was a joke, the times he was a minute late from lunch even if he was with the rest of the team, or any minute thing that never really interfered with business and was ignored by management.  They do this so that the day the Black man wants promotion at work or he leaves and sues them for their discrimination, they already have a filed built against him to hinder his progress.  Good on the other hand, requires that you enhance yourselves and others in the community. 

Second, evil, like HIV/AIDS virus, cannot survive on its own.  It needs an adequate host to carry it.  If I go kill someone, I may need my mother to say I was in her house at the time of the crime, a friend to hide or destroy the murder weapon in his house in another city, or simply rely on eyewitness to mind their business by keeping quiet.  Evil after being planted needs secrecy through collaboration to achieve its goal.  Good on the other hand lives on its own.  I do not need permission to feed the hungry or collaboration to give gifts to the homeless or orphanage.  So, evil is basically teamwork and those who do nothing by looking the other way are also part of the team. 

Now that we have understood the mechanics of evil, the question now become how we reverse evil for good.  I know that when you add heat to ice it become water and that when you remove heat from water it turns back to ice.  This is a natural process that teaches us that to bring change we must understand and reverse the very same mechanics that created what we are trying to change.  It means that to reverse evil, good must also be prepared to plant the seeds of intelligence and patience against evil, and also look for adequate hosts to carry those good seeds.  I have found that the power of the documentation or the internet is one of the best ways to expose the seeds, secrecies, and hosts of evil.  But, how does this affect Nigeria? 

Nigeria is a country where evil thrives and evil thrives in places of high illiteracy and where love of money comes before education.  Education ultimately is the knowledge of utilizing documentation to plant seeds that will patiently enhance the nation efficiently.  When the Alhaji steals Nigeria’s money and go put it in the Swiss bank, who drives to withdraw or deposit the money for the Alhaji? – Nigerians.  When the Mallam says that Niger-Delta Oil is for Egypt and the killing of the Delta people is justified, who calls the Delta people criminals? – Nigerians.  When Generals make laws against our education and discredit our money, who goes to marry their children? – Nigerians.  No one is documenting their evil against them so that their enemy or opposition can use it against them in future and kick them out of office.  Nigerians should start making use of e-mails, faxes, youtube (videos), and the internet to document evidence of evil against our leaders.  Nigerians with evidence should be bold enough to put a write-up with names on the internet.  If possible records secret evil deal betraying Nigeria and play it over the internet or radio.  Even an e-mail or fax to the boss or minister of a non-performing staff at the Nigerian embassy goes a long way.  The fax and e-mails are documented and the staff must answer for it.  The Consulate of the Nigerian called my cell phone once to address a fax I sent to him and I got my Nigerian passport immediately. 

Leaders and people respond to the written word or internet videos, but you must make sure it is factual and there is evidence.  When Nigerian leaders (President, Governors, Ministers, and Local Government Chairmen) start getting 500 e-mails, faxes, or internet videos each morning when they go to work, it will challenge them to hire better staff, change their attitudes, and deliver the results we require.  Remember, that people change not because they want to, but because they soon realize the cost and penalty of not changing is far greater than when they change.  Nigerian citizens have not yet challenged their leaders with the power of the documentation individually.  The power of the documentation is public accountability and the intellectual patience of planted seeds that can be used against them when an opposing power comes against them.  When they soon realize that Nigerians care more about their global respectability, growing economy, and good governance over illegal contracts, castles, and hummers by planting seeds against them, they will be forced to change their ways or stop running for office.