Bad governance can lead to the downfall of a government.

Write an
essay to support this statement citing illustrations from Adipo Sidang’s
play Parliament of Owls.
A major undoing for most dictatorial governments is ruling against the wishes of the
people. When citizens get tired, they overthrow the leaders of such a government
ultimately resulting in its downfall.

Parliament of owls lacks inclusivity and power is controlled exclusively by the owls.
Royal Owl, Money Bags and other owls have the monopoly of power. Red String claims
that night birds and omnivores will always rule, with owls at the helm. The day birds and
grain-eaters will never have a

chance to run the kingdom. The owls are also immune to the laws. They are

arrogant because they wield the instruments of power. Parliament of owls

only serves the owls. Money Bags says that the revered trees of owls are for

the chosen few. Not all birds can access it. The owls believed that God chose

them to rule the Kingdom because of their intelligence. Other birds like

Sparrow, Weaver, Ostrich, Guinea fowl, Parrot, Crested crane among others

decide to form a coalition to fight against owls who are arrogant and

greedy. Some owls like Iron Lady and Feathered Beak are ready to fight

against the backwardness of parliament of owls. Birds can be heard singing

freedom songs planning to stage a struggle for freedom against the owls.

Even night birds plan a demonstration at parliament of owls and royal trees

to fight against the oppressive Moonlight Law and other bad laws. They

chant anti-owl slogans. This is because they are tired of bad leaders like

Money Bags. The once powerful Money Bags is relieved of all his duties and

is arrested unceremoniously. When the golden beads are stolen, parliament

of owls crumbles. Without the beads Royal Owl is powerless. Even Police Owl
ignores him. Eventually he is chased out of parliament of owls as he gives

out a cowardly cry. Oyundi is crowned queen. Bad governance results in the

downfall of most dictatorial regimes. (2-3, 7, 11, 15, 24, 42, 44, 46, 50, 56-57,

58, 118, 120, 123-125, 128)

Dictatorial governments usually collapse because of their inkling of passing

bad laws which oppress citizens. In Parliament of Owls, the laws favor owls.

The owls ban moonlight twittering past 6 p. and flying from tree to tree.

They remain immune to these oppressive laws. Red String plans to ban

hammering at the trees to frustrate Tel Tel who refused to work with

parliament of owls by sneaking in a clause in the laws which would outlaw

the activity. The moonlight bill, sponsored by Money Bags with the blessings of Royal
Owl, would impose a curfew forcing all birds to sleep by sunset.

Only the two leaders and their cronies enjoy the benefits of the bill and the resultant tax
that will go to royal trees. The bill undermines the rights of other night birds that twitter
in the moonlight and omnivores that hunt at night, introduces illegal taxes and gags any
opposition. The law allows

money Bags to loot. It gives room for robbery, violence and assassinations.

Money Bags organised snakes to raid birds nests and steal their eggs

creating insecurity and introducing the Law of Bird Protection for his own

killing and murdering of day birds and grain-eaters which is orchestrated

by omnivores and night birds. Python acts as the hangman for the owls.

Thirty three weavers are massacred by the ruling elite. There are plans to

kill birds that have taken a stand to fight for good governance like Straight

Eyed. Money Bags and Royal Owl are responsible for the massacre of the
weavers. Those who oppose their bad governance are tortured and

murdered at royal trees. When parliament of owls falls, Osogo dedicates that day to all
his relatives killed in cold blood by Money Bags and his goons. A moment of silence is
observed for all birds killed in the struggle including

Arum Tidi and Osogo’s kin. Owls use Arum Tidi to spread propaganda but

have a plan to kill him afterwards. One Eyed is contracted to kill him. They

make it seem like he committed suicide. Nightingale was under instructions

not to use the ambulance for seven days. Arum Tidi was killed because he

had a damaging dossier on a scandal that implicates Money Bags and royal

trees. They kill him because they feel he is a traitor. This leads to the

downfall of parliament of owls. Money Bags loses his power and prestige

when he is relieved of all his duties and stripped of all his titles and

commendations. He is cuffed and arrested. Royal Owl loses his powers when

Oyundi and her associates get hold of the golden bead. Royal Owl becomes

powerless and is humiliated when is chased out of parliament. The birds sing

a sarcastic song to mock Royal Owl after his downfall. (P 3-4, 9, 13, 34, 36,

42, 52, 59, 61, 64-65, 72, 114, 123, 127-128)

In conclusion, the downfall of many bad governments results from

opposition fuelled by bad governance.

PARLIAMENT OF OWLS ESSAYS AND ANSWERS

write an essay to show that bad leaders use oppressive means to

govern.
When dictators assume power, they do everything they can to oppress their

subjects and retain their power. Royal Owl and Money Bags are examples of

bad leaders who use various oppressive techniques to rule.

Bad leaders oppress their citizens by murdering or assassinating some of

them. Owls are notorious for killing grain-eaters and day birds. They punish

their enemies by tying them and throwing them into Python’s cave. Python is

the hangman who runs the gallows. Osogo's kin are murdered in what comes

to be known as the ‘weaver massacre’. Thirty three weaver birds were killed.

Straight Eyed reveals that there is a plan to kill birds that stand for good

governance. The mercenaries include Python and Olik Tiga. When Oyundi

takes over Parliament of Owls and style it Flock of Birds, Osogo dedicates

that day to his relatives who were killed in cold blood by Money Bags and his

goons under the instructions of Royal Owl. A moment of silence is observed

to honour the departed souls. Bad leaders like Royal Owl and Money Bags

kill innocent birds. They use Arum Tidi to spread propaganda but when they

have no use for him, they get One Eyed to eliminate him. He is killed because

he had a damning dossier that implicated Money Bags and Royal Trees. He

is given a proper burial and honoured by the ruling owls to hoodwink the

other birds. Indeed bad leaders use oppressive means like assassination to

govern. (P3-4, 9, 13, 34, 52, 59, 114, 123, 127-128)

Bad leaders also use unjust laws to oppress citizens. The owls are the ruling
elite. They make laws only to break them. They pass bad laws to favour

them. Red String says that the owls are above the law. Some of the laws are oppressive;
for example, they plan to ban hammering at trees and to

introduce a fee to be paid by any bird that does so. This is to frustrate birds like Osogo.
Arum Tidi advises Red String to sneak this oppressive clause into their laws. Money Bags
sponsors an oppressive bill christened

Moonlight Bill. If it becomes a law, a curfew will be imposed forcing all birds to sleep by
sunset. They also plan to ban flying from tree to tree and

moonlight twittering. The law strangely allows Money Bags to assume the

role of speaker in order to pass critical bills like the Moonlight Bill. Only the ruling elite
like Royal Owl, Money Bags and their stooges stand to benefit from the Moonlight bill
and Moonlight tax which goes to Royal Trees. The law helps to aid theft, robbery and
looting by Money Bags. It also undermines the rights of birds that twitter in the
moonlight and omnivores that hunt in the night. The committee of vultures which is in
bed with Royal Owl is the team that listens to petitions by birds that try to oppose such
bills.

The laws are unjust towards day birds like Osogo and Oyundi since birds

that flout the law are to be arrested. Activists like Oyundi fight against bad

her gift of the gab to spread propaganda painting the oppressive laws in

good light. The tax is supposed to be called a tithe and is supposedly meant to

help protect the kingdom. It will also be used supposedly for the welfare of

sick and old birds. Tel Tel is adamant to take up this responsibility because

owls once made her spread propaganda about Osogo only to go ahead and

massacre his family. She thus lost her integrity. Arum Tidi is also used to

spread propaganda for Royal Trees. He is supposed to go around praising

Parliament of Owls for the safety of all birds, Royal Owl and the Moonlight

Bill. Feathered Beak calls out Money Bags and his puppets for hiring Arum

Tidi to spread cheap lies and propaganda hence confusing night birds and

omnivores and painting the good owls in bad light. (P6-8, 10-11, 27, 21, 34)

Bad leaders also use threats and intimidation to gag their rivals. Red String

warns Tel Tel of dire consequences if she fails to help them spread
propaganda. He tells her that she is living on borrowed time. He is giving

her a chance to live longer than she should. Money Bags asks Red String to

order Tel Tel to carry out his directive or else she would not live to tell the

tale. Royal Owl threatens to kill Osogo for playing his flute. Royal Owl and

Money Bags also use Police Owl to intimidate their enemies including Tel

Tel, Iron Lady, Feathered Beak, Oyundi among others. (P8, 10-11, 46, 58)

In conclusion, oppressive regimes use dictatorial means to govern,

intimidate and gag anyone who seems to oppose the leadership.

PARLIAMENT OF OWLS ESSAYS AND ANSWERS

write an essay to show that arrogance leads to a downfall.

Some people bear an attitude of superiority or self-importance and show

little consideration for other people. Such a condescending attitude can lead

to loss of power, status or prosperity.

Money Bags' downfall is as a result of his arrogance. He is a powerful and

authoritative figure in the parliament of owls. He claims the reign of Royal

Owl should be smooth and eternal. He sponsors a bill that benefits only the

ruling elite. He claims that hornbills like Arum Tidi are not even half of what

owls are. He says that parliament of owls is revered and is for the chosen

few so hopeless little birds like Oyundi cannot access it. Money Bags is Royal

Owl's blue eyed bird. Royal Owl trusts him and listens to him. He claims he is
the second most decorated owl in history. He proposes that parliament of

owls needs a loyalty pledge. All the birds should praise the owls and worship

Royal Owl and Money Bags. Money Bags has the powers to order Police Owl

to arrest other birds. He is elated when he says Osogo is singing in praise of

owls. His downfall begins when birds form a coalition to fight against the

arrogance of owls. When Oyundi paints him as a traitor, he falls out of

favour with Royal Owl. He cowers when Royal Owl orders him to shut up.

He is relieved of all his duties, stripped of all his titles and state

commendations and arrested. All his accomplices are sentenced to life

imprisonment. He is later killed. (P11, 23, 35, 30, 50-52, 64, 93, 96, 98, 100,

115, 117, 120, 122, 124)

Royal Owl, Tula Nyongoro, the King of the Birds falls from grace because of

his pride. He is a powerful king and most owls pledge their loyalty to him.

He says owls are the only birds that can fly highest in the night. That gods

created them intelligent and chose them to rule the Kingdom because of their

intelligence. When he arrives at the parliament carried by Puppet Owls,

everybody rises to the kingdom’s anthem to mark his arrival. Royal Owl

declares that he will rule until he dies for the sake of peace and prosperity of

the Kingdom. Because of such arrogance and pride, the other birds form a

coalition to overthrow the owls. Royal Owl's powers are stored in the

golden bead which gives him the wisdom and power to govern all birds.
Without it he loses the power to lead. When he orders Police Owl to arrest

Oyundi and send her to Python’s land, Police Owl does not comply. Royal

Owl is now powerless. Oyundi then pounces on him and he makes a

cowardly cry and scampers for safety. Oyundi manages to overthrow Royal

Owl and take over power. (P11, 22, 55-56, 107, 118, 124-125)

Arum Tidi is a witty propagandist of royal trees who is blessed with the gift of the gab
but his arrogance leads to his downfall. He says that he does not sing. He only blows his
own trumpet to which Tel Tel replies that she detests arrogance. He welcomes Red
String to witness as he showcases his wits. He also reminds him not to trust “these”
small birds. When Red String calls him

In conclusion, pride goes before a fall. People that feel superior to others.