If today Nigeria ends up in a total state of anarchy, whether you are rich or poor, Christian or Muslim, south-south or south-west, however way you look at it, you shall be affected. I hear a few people say that some have amassed such wealth that once Nigeria becomes unbearable, they can elope to any “western country” and enjoy their ill-gotten wealth in peace. Think about it? Here in Nigeria, a public office holder can loot his state or country’s treasury dry with such impunity while also having the effrontery to harass his fellow citizens on the highway with his bloated convoy filled with overzealous police officers ready to maim of course, not to mention the excruciating noise emanating from their siren. He cannot replicate such in that “western country”.
The same goes for a preacher. In this part of the world, they are invincibles. You criticize them at your own peril. You will be shocked how supposedly cogent individual will spring up to their pastor/ daddy’s defense. In that “western world”, nobody’s daddy whether spiritual or biological will wake up one morning and slap anyone even if the devil came down in human form to confront his eminence because he will be sued for physically assaulting a defenseless devil and possibly remanded in custody.
In that same “western world”, no cabal, politician or technocrat will bully the press when asked simple questions or call its electorate unsavory names or better yet make preposterous statements like suggesting your citizens should live with suicide bomb attacks till it fizzles out! In that “western world”, your resignation will be demanded for by everyone, including members of your own party for imprudent utterances.
Let’s not digress any further. The theme of this article is the “gospel economics”. A theory that quite remarkably ignores the metaphysical but dwells on fiction as it insists that no matter how the state of things deteriorate, “children of god” will never be affected, hence the world can protest on the street till thy kingdom come for all they care, they can’t be bothered. During the one week long peaceful protests organized by SNG and other civil rights societies, I noticed the tranquil state of mind by quite a number of my friends I consider very religious. Religious in the sense that all they tweet is about pastor /daddy, what pastor/daddy said, and numerous quotes from the scriptures.
Let me state categorically, that I believe everyone is free to make a choice either to join a positive cause, to stay neutral or even support an insensitive government policy. It isn’t mandatory or even possible for everyone to have taken part in the protest or demand for good governance. Let me also state that I’m a believer in the word of GOD and I frequently pick up the holy book for reference and guidance. After all, 2 Timothy 3:16 states that,” all scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. However, I also believe that same GOD gave us the ability to think and analyze our surroundings and ask questions instead of locking up our GOD given thinking faculty and blindly “follow follow” like in the words of Fela’s song”mr follow follow” recorded decades ago.
Anyway, some of the “children of god” played no part in protesting whether as an indoor event (via social media) or outdoor (coming out to protest). They didn’t even pretend to be part of us at any point which I really admired and respected. But what baffles me till this day, is the fact that they think they are untouchable even by the turn of events in our country. The display message of one of “the children of god” during the protest and till this day reads “a thousand shall fall at your right side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you” from Psalm 91;7. Rumor even has it that some of them were instructed from above not to participate in our demand for our fundamental human rights, and if seen doing otherwise, punitive action will be meted out to such erring individuals.
A survey from the Letagum prosperity Index, ranked Nigeria among the bottom 15 poorest nations of the world. The gap between the poor and the rich is at its highest peak in our history. How is it that a country which is the 7th largest producer of oil in the world will still have majority of its citizens living below $2 per day? And how is it, that that same country pays its politicians salaries and allowances that dwarf Obama’s emoluments for his entire term in office! I bet Obama if greedy, would have switched nationalities by now.
Each time I pick up the dailies, join social media, or listen to the news, I always have a cause for concern. It’s either the obvious that what we currently have is the obliviously inept government who luckily found its way into the corridors of power, or innocent lives lost through the senseless tirade of bomb attacks on defenseless citizens and even officers of the armed forces under the guise of war against western civilization. The recent seizure in Ghana of a vessel loaded with fire arms heading towards Nigeria or the arraignment of a British based artillery supplier, Gary Hyde in the UK for reportedly shipping 80,000 rifles and pistols, and 32 million rounds of ammunition to Nigeria is depressing. This shipment included 40,000 AK47 assault rifles, 30,000 rifles and 10,000 9mm pistols. I cringed when I read this yesterday.
Then I recalled when Ganiyu Adams, a leader of a faction of the Odu’a People’s Congress, a secessionist and nationalist organization in the South-West of Nigeria was questioned about the possible invasion of the much dreaded boko haram sect into Lagos and other parts of the region. His response was quite bullish. He made it clear that they had enough weapons in their arsenal to curtail any infiltration by the terrorist group should boko haram even think of venturing into their shores. I began to think of how fire arms must be widespread amongst us that we are clearly unmindful of. This could mean in a traffic jam, a man selling fan yogourt ice-cream could have a pistol stashed somewhere around his icemaker, or the gala hawker could have a rifle stored somewhere for use when the need arises.
I have got a problem with the gospel economics and its students “the children of god”. The vibe I was getting during the protest, was the fact that if pump price can rise to N200 per litre, I can still afford it, and so can my family, church members and colleagues, just make the damn commodity available, nothing else matters. When you are all tired of constituting a nuisance on the streets, you will all go back home, and let us, who have better things to do like make some more money get on with our lives.
Is this really what the scripture is all about? That we should stay clear of murky waters such as disassociating ourselves from peaceful protesters of the “world” fighting for a better future for us all, fighting for the less privileged who cannot possibly afford those basic things we take for granted, and also for accountability in government? I wonder whether the excessive love for money, those bullet proof luxury cars, private jets and exorbitant private universities are heavenly and not worldly things.
In the book of Mark 12:30-31, a lawyer walked up to Jesus and asked for what he considered the first commandment. Jesus replied and said “love the Lord your GOD with all your heart and soul, with all your mind and strength”. Jesus then added a second saying “you shall love your neighbor as thyself. There is NO OTHER COMMANDEMENT GREATER THAN THESE”. Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10: 30-37? In that story, Jesus explained who truly our neighbor is. In that story, a man was robbed, stripped off his clothing and left for dead. A priest first came along, saw him, crossed to the other side like he didn’t see a thing. Then came the Levite, who did the same thing. It wasn’t until when a certain Samaritan came by that the man robbed was catered for. Jesus then asked the lawyer in verse 38, “so which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among thieves? Go and do likewise” Jesus said to him.
Jesus, a meek and humble man should be our role model and not any man if we are to go by Christianity. He paid no attention to acquiring material things but encouraged agape love for one another including our neighbor. A neighbor meaning members of other faiths, the downtrodden, the less privileged, and the poor to mention but a few. Remember the priest and the Levite (who the “children of god” in Nigeria today will view as religious and will follow blindly), left their neighbor for dead. It was the Samaritan who was viewed as not righteous at all that came to his neighbor’s aid.
Our neighbor today include those in abject poverty who can’t afford to eat 3 square meals daily, who if corruption is curbed to the barest minimum will have their minimum wage increased from the laughable and embarrassingly low N18, 000 per month to be at par with other OPEC member countries, who if basic amenities and infrastructures are made available and put in place will have their life and expectancy rate improved.
With the proliferation of firearms across our country, a possible gun duel with ethnic fractions and religious dogmatist, incessant bombings killing innocent people, widening of the income gap between the rich and the poor, endemic corruption, my brothers and sisters in the lord, your gospel economics will not work. Your movement will be curtailed. Even the church where you go and listen to your daddy or show off your latest aesthetics might just be turned into rumbles. Daddy might have flown out of the country with his jets to avoid the state of anarchy slapping anyone in his way including his pilots in successfully eloping out of the jungle in which even a lion cannot survive. Daniel, Mershach, shaddrach and Abednego, young jews of royal birth were taken as slaves from the kingdom of Judah to serve king Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon because of a corrupt and evil government in charge when they were still very young. Their parents probably took part in the evil regime, or also believed in the “gospel economics” that as the lord’s chosen one and that no matter the state of the jungle, they will always go unscathed. We all know they were GOD’s chosen but taken captive to serve as slaves in a foreign land.
Love your neighbor as thyself is what Jesus instructed us, not only church members, family, boy/girlfriends, business partners, work colleagues. Do whatever it takes to ensure Nigeria doesn’t degenerate to the level of Somalia where alaye boys will mount road blocks every two meters on Ikorodu road, extorting all sundry. If it is by prayer, please pray fervently for peace of GOD to reign in this nation. If it is to challenge those at the helm of affairs in this nation to wake up and switch from auto-pilot to responsive and accountable government, then so be it. Remember the louder we make our voices heard in unison, the more effective our impact. Do everything but adopt the nonchalant approach.
My heart goes out to the families of our brothers and sisters who have lost their lives through the series of mindless and cruel bomb blasts in Kano state and all other states affected across Nigeria. May GOD give strength to the bereaved to bear their loss and may the soul of the slain rest in peace. Amen.
GOD bless Nigeria.
No comments:
Post a Comment