Is there a true and honest belief in God and miracles or is there something no-one is telling the people of Nigeria.
While the world gets on with the business of running their environment, improving living standards, engaging the thoughts of the intellectual and academic to overcome prevailing country issues, deploying task forces on about every single issue, all for the benefit of I a country’s citizenry, Nigerians seem to be oblivious to the need for hard work or indeed personal responsibility for the state of the nation or even their own existence as Nigerians.Nothing riles me more than a headline that screams:
‘Vice-President urges Nigeria to Pray’. What for, I dare ask?
‘President urges Nigerians to seek God’s guidance’. Why, because as leader he can’t find the way out? The man is a Moslem for goodness sake what do you expect him to say?
‘Archbishop says Nigeria is failing her people and seeks God’s intervention’. Excuse me Mr Archbishop Sir. God is otherwise occupied with more progressive and deserving people at the moment.
Without the noise of bombs strapped to suicide Jihadists or the mass-rallies of the revolutionists in Teheran or even the uncertainties of the Kandahar region in Pakistan, the Christians are giving off the same feeling of terror and doom across Nigeria.
There is a reason for the demarcation of countries and the groupings of peoples. There is also a reason for the institution of government and a democratic way of life.
This is Planet Earth and the rules of engagement are governed by the rules that people choose to live and operate under.
Within these rules are limitations and boundaries agreed upon in the composition of constitutions and the laws of the land.
Whether we live in a place by choice or design, we are governed by those rules.
Over and above that, each individual exercises the prerogative to adhere to further rulings based on religious beliefs as guidance for their choices of lifestyle and self-education. Note that all of these are individual choices indisputable by anyone else.
As a collective with a voiced desire to progress as a country, it is noticeable that the Christian Terrorists are leading the pack while the illuminati is dead.
The greatest weapon that the Christian terrorist has is the word of God, the greater dependency that the illuminati have is their brains. While it is indisputable, as a Christian, that the word of God is most powerful, it is debatable whether it serves one better than providing guidelines on how to live life appropriately.
The debate here is, can man’s desire for a better life here on earth and in particular Nigeria, be left alone to prayer sessions in a quest for miracles?
Can the absence of any other activity such as positively effecting political, social and economic change be solely reliant on the answering of prayers without the individual or the collective actively pursuing such change?
Is there a prevalent misunderstanding of the purpose of the guidelines given by God to the point where man does nothing within his environment whilst waiting for miracles?
Or is the Nigerian simply not up to the task of doing what he or she should and can do to impact on his or her country and people positively?
Does the general and popular activity of brandishing God’s name at will, to the point of exhaustion, really portend for a better government tomorrow that provides security, water, better education, electricity and jobs for Nigerians?
Or has the Nigerian found the easiest way to duck responsibility while endearing himself or herself to others alike?
Wherever Nigerians gather, you soon get a sense of despair at the seeming hopelessness of their plight. Real or imagined, the Nigerian is no longer willing or capable of motoring forward and the whole population is going nowhere slowly.
The terrorism in question lies in the slamming of tales of woe and expectations of doom as prescribed for the days of darkness by the Bible.
God will touch the hearts of the Yahoo Boys. God will reveal to President Yar’Adua the best plan for the National Budget. God will also deploy his busy forces to reach out to our children and curb their illicit ways. God will definitely join the Action Congress in opposition, defeat the PDP at the next elections despite the continued presence of Maurice Iwu and then set out to eradicate corruption in one fell swoop.
There are probably another 200 countries of the world where God will positively assist their plight. These are countries where the people have shown they truly need, believe and desire positive change by acting and contributing rather than spend most hours at redemption camps.
What exactly is the Nigerians purpose in life or indeed in his or her own country. To spread the word of God and sit back and hope for the best?
When Nigerians worked with gusto and great energy to further themselves and their communities, God Dey (there is God) was deemed a poor man’s prayer. Poverty in that sense was in the larger context of finances and capacity and ability.
Today, ‘God Dey’ is now every Nigerian’s prayer.
The global opportunity to develop and pursue goals with a uniform sense of purpose arises with the advent of the internet and technology, bridging the divides that separate us as Nigerians.
This opportunity is seemingly missed as each day all one sees is the broadcast of messages and spread of undying love as Christians. Like the rest of the world does not believe in God.
In Rio de Janeiro stands one of the wonders of the world. A great statue of Jesus Christ looming over the near-naked bronzed bodies of the boys and girls of Copacabana.
They did not wait for miracles to bring their country out of the economic doldrums she found herself.
They elected a capable leader, not the Pope, effected working and accountable systems, changed their approaches to governance and slowly came out to be recognized as one of the best growing economies and countries of the world.
They, by the way, are the largest single collection of Catholics in the world so it is safe to say they had God, the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and the Pope on their side but also contributed to their success by doing things for themselves.
With all of these staunch Christian figures they could easily have sat back, prayed and done nothing while waiting for the economic miracle that improved their lives.
Today I believe the hopelessness in Nigeria has nothing to do with government or corruption or poor leadership. It certainly has to do with a race of people who no longer have the will or even the capacity to do anything more than whine and pray.
Bad and dubious leadership knows this hence they find it much easier to appeal to Nigerians to look to the heavens.
Once asked whether he would run for a 2nd term, President Obasanjo ably assisted by Pastor Adeboye, said he was waiting for word from God. We all saw how a 3rd Term plot ended up.
When asked how he would deal with corruption in his state, a governor said the people should pray.
When the Nigerian you would expect to give you sensible answers or even engage you in discussions to map out a route for change and success is asked his or her opinion, he or she will tell you to wait until they return from night vigil. The answer is somewhere out there on the hills of Sumorika.
So bad is the situation that our football teams do not prepare or strategize only to woefully perform whilst using overaged players and praying in the center-circle of every game.
The same Nigerian who would dress in Sunday bests and shout the loudest is the same one you will see in pictures of cultism and shrine attendances.
Nigerians have shown great capacity in countries where there is stability and accountability. They succeed immensely against the odds.
They do not get there and sit back and pray but lose the sense and strength of character upon return to Nigeria.
Someone should really ask the tough question. Do you really believe God has Nigeria pegged down for a miracle whilst Nigerians burden him with cries and have no intentions of doing anything.
Reminds one of the joke about the Nigerian who got angry with God because he had watched the weekly Lottery program on television for weeks on end without winning.
Each weekend he went back to church and kept pestering God about when his luck would change
God soon got angry and screamed at him “Stop bothering me each week to help you win the lottery! Give me a break and buy a Lottery Ticket one day for starters!!”
The only beneficiaries from this state of hopelessness the Nigerian feels are the churches. Little wonder why they spring up everywhere you turn, yet we secretly whine and berate their lavish expenditure on private jets and Maybachs?
Remember this from the California Highway Patrol “In God We Trust; Everybody Else We Check out!”
To the Nigerian, God is busy today, please try later.
It is Well.
