“Let me tell you exactly how it would go,” Cardiman said knowingly. “Malgam officially collaborates with the government on the project to move the village back from the beach while allowing them access to the sea via the Ezile River and the lagoon. Malgam promises a certain amount of money to support pipe-borne water and electrification, on the condition that the government completes the housing. That’s because Malgam isn’t stupid, and the crafty devils know that the government will start the buildings, partially complete them, the village people will move in, and the Ministry of Interior will maybe put in a community tap at most, with promises of electricity to come. The MP gets a little pocket money from Malgam in return for the project dragging or coming to a complete stop.”
Cardiman looked from Dawson to Chikata and back. “You follow? Okay, the opposition party comes into power four or eight years later, parliament defunds the project and it collapses. In the end, Malgam gains beachfront property to develop, they’ve paid a sum of money that’s a drop in the bucket for them, the government hasn’t spent that much either, and the people of Akwidaa are left with a less than half-finished village with reduced access to the shore, no electricity, and one lousy community tap.”
“So now that Charles Smith-Aidoo is dead, a scheme like that is also dead?” Dawson asked.
“Oh, yes-for now,” Cardiman said with undisguised satisfaction. “Not that I’m glad Charles is dead, but there you have it. The new man, Jason Sarbah, is not keen on all this development stuff, but don’t be surprised if it all resurfaces at some point.”
“What happened that day Charles and his wife came to visit you?”
Cardiman sighed, rested his palms on his knees, and collected himself for the account. “They arrived around eleven. Charles mentioned that they had come from a meeting in Axim that morning. Fiona sat at the beachside while Charles and I talked in the restaurant. He offered me a stake in a development along the Cape Three Points shoreline, including the Ezile Bay and Akwidaa locations. He showed me the plan, the expected revenue, the environmental impact assessment, and so on. And I said no. Full stop. No. I said I didn’t want to lose this place at the hands of some faceless moneymaking venture. I don’t operate this resort for money-in fact, I don’t make much money from it at all. I do it for the love of it.”
