02 Feb 2005 |
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Interestingly, after the inaugurations, people jeered at Pastor Bakare for daring to prophesy lies in order to attract attentions. The pastor answered his critics that prophesies are not meant to cause confusions but to insert fears, fears that will make the people for which the prophesies were made, to pray against unpleasant and undesirable future which, if God had said it, would surely come. Nevertheless, since the president had become presidential, every faithful went to sleep and the non-Christians laughed at the inconsistence of the western-proclaimed greatest faith in the world. Matters of messiah then rested and were soon totally forgotten. However, what would be would surely be. Not long after the people ignored Bakare’s call for prayers against impending dangers, OBJ began to grow interests in chieftaincy titles and began to depart from the path of the Holy Spirit. He became powerful and absolute. He became so powerful that he got intoxicated in the Machiavellian “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Not long after the people became unguarded, OBJ alone became the most intelligent of all and indeed, omniscience! His interpretation of politics became the most reasonable. He became vindictive and unforgiving (i.e. OBJ vs. Adams Oshiomole, OBJ vs. National Assembly, OBJ vs. Governor Dariye, OBJ vs. OBJ, OBJ vs. Nigeria itself) (the only person so far, who OBJ could not victimise was the person who indeed has little or nothing to lose; the indefatigable ABN man, Francis Arthur Nzeribe). The president went head on and unrepentantly against the Abachas and ignored the Babangidas. He is probing the Abacha’s Loots and leaving the Abdusallam’s, the Marawa’s and many other undeclared riches. Some past public officials and leaders became sacred cows and untouchables; only the dead one should be the scapegoat of our new dispensation. He alone became the wise one who wanted Nigerians to sacrifice their lives and comforts in exchange for prohibitive fuel prices, after all, GSM calls are N50.00pm while fuel prices were from N23.00pl. He became so resolved in this opinion of deregulations that he forgot that such economic ideological turn requires a fully operational rule of law, a good faith in the fundamental rights of the individuals, liberal democracy and free market in all its ramifications. His opinion was that petroleum product prices were wrong so much that he spent 100s of million Naira demolishing toll-plazas (even if by simple statistics, it cost far less to build than to pull them down) before the judgments that he was becoming reckless. In his conviction, he even forgot the prices of kerosene until Adams Oshiomole reminded him by becoming a thorn in his presidential flesh. His elderly response was to promptly democratise NLC. Very slowly, the terror no longer is the man in Khaki uniforms; by and by, OBJ with his economic and social policies becomes the common man’s nightmares. By and by, people are beginning to realize that, neither the “owambe” governors, nor the omniscience OBJ, nor the national or state assemblies are the messiahs to socio-economic freedom or governments to run to for justice and fairness wherever there are needs to seek such. (The same court system that said Tinubu was too holy to answer questions regarding his questionable educational claims also said that James Ibori was never a criminal even if a judge testifies otherwise). Consequently, the true messiah lies in what the people are able to do for themselves. (Ask not what your country can do for you- because it wouldn’t do it anyway- but what you can do for yourself). Power must return to the people. Curiously, where are these people? Nigerians of today are at the Monday prayer meetings, they are “digging deep” on the knowledge of the bible on Tuesday, having mid-week services on Wednesday, choir practise on Thursday, prayer meeting/ night vigil on Friday, workers meetings Saturday, Sunday services on Sunday morning and evening services on Sunday evening. Already there are thousands of churches spread across the country, which means millions of Nigerians listen more to pastors, evangelists, crusaders, prophets than to the news on radio. Yet, each time these massive number of pretentiously God-loving devotees leave their churches, they go back home driving on the wrong side of the lane, shouting abuses at traffic wardens, jumping the traffic lights, bribing to get contracts and breaking the laws that are meant to make Nigeria governable. They leave prayer meetings and still aim at neck-braking profits on their respective sales, they lie to get contracts and even victimise each other for favours. One then begins to wonder, if actually there exist a God who sees all, and knows all, and is indeed a benevolent being, whom the adherent faithfuls server but betray the trusts of the rest of Nigerian, then such a God is unfair to merely allow things to go on like this unchecked. He is unfair and must be criticised for condoning evil doings and allowing pastors to ride on the poverty of their congregations. But we know God cannot be unfair, because he has sent his pastors and ministers to rebuke us on his behalf. There are men, risen up by God himself, to speak the mind of God to us. One begins to wonder, if all the thousands of “men of God” could, at the same time, rise up and proclaim curse upon every believer under the unction of their voices to receive God’s damnations and hell condemnations for, like the laws of Moses/10commandmens, breaking the laws of Nigeria. It is almost certain that crime rates will reduce; more people will obey the more laws knowing that there is no forgiveness for the sin of breaking Nigerian laws. By and by, we will begin to see changes. But certainly, no pastor will do that work for God. They will proclaim that God did not give them such prophesies. This is because, after declaring such curses, the following Sunday will witness a massive reduction in congregation. Such reduction will mean less in collection of 10% tithe and serious reduction in monies to be collected as offerings and church building funds. But why should they be concerned about such money matter if indeed God has called them to do His work for Him? If the pastors won’t help us, why should we not begin to consider collecting state, LG, and federal income taxes from the churches? However, if those who love God with passion and who work for Him with unchallengeable diligence disagree with me that God is unfair, then let all educated and church going congregation obey traffic laws, let them declare that as we approach a new week, new month, new year, hardly will anyone guiltlessly break laws in Nigeria. Let the preachers begin to curse on the pulpits asking God to send down the rain of misfortune, answer by fire and brimstones over every faithful believer who break the Nigerian law or contribute to the wretchedness of the Nigerian people- “even plus including in addition together with OBJ. Dele A. Sonubi P.O.Box 51352 Falomo Post Office Falomo. Ikoyi Lagos. Nigeria. |
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