(This Piece Shall Either Make You Glad, Sad or Mad! Don’t Read It If You Don’t Like Me/My Ministry; Read It Halfway If You Like Me Partially;But, Read It All if You Appreciate My Daily Efforts, And You’ll See How Much I Love Bringing You The Truth)
I am hoping that this article shall achieve similar, and even greater things, than Martin Luther’s 95 Theses that caused the birth of the PROTESTANT REFORMATION. The document, written in 1517, is called “The 95 Theses”, because it is a list of 95 statements and questions intended for Martin Luther to debate against the Catholic Church.
Mine are just nine (9) statements, and I hope you can patiently read through them. If the people then could read through Luther’s 95 Theses, and went all out for the REFORMATION OF THE CHURCH – a REFORMATION that birthed the PROTESTANT CHURCH of today, what’s your excuse for not going through this little piece of mine! If Nigeria will ever CHANGE, we must write, preach and teach things like this. That’s what Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela, did, and would do again and again.
They were REFORMERS and TRUE CHANGE AGENTS that are better examples/motivators to me than all Nigerian religious leaders put together! I ONLY FOLLOW MEN LIKE JESUS CHRIST WHO ARE PREPARED TO LAY DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR FOLLOWERS/CONGREGATIONS, and not the ones who feed/prey on the emotions and gullibility of their members.The real title on my mind for this piece was, “MANY NIGERIANS ARE MAD, CROOKED AND LOST!”
But, if I titled it as such, I suppose that even my wife would give me tough time in ‘zee other room.’ Even that expression came from a confirmed deranged fellow that Nigerians had the misfortune of calling ‘president’ for eight wasted years. You know who! In my 52 year sojourn in this country, I can tell you that many Nigerians are not well; there are many who are mad, but clothed, and many of those suits-wearing and babanriga-donning fellows in Abuja, in the Banks, and other seemingly high offices, are the maddest of them all. Like someone said, “Not all mad men/women roam.” The non roaming madness is the prevalent brand in Nigeria. See, I’ve been dealing with mentally challenged people on the streets of Ibadan for 5 straight years now, and I know what madness is. Believe me when I say that ALL our leaders in Nigeria (from 1980 till date), with the exception of two or three, are MAD. Believe me also when I say that the present crop of spiritual leaders (pastors and imams) we have in Nigeria today would do terribly worse than our political leaders if placed in the same boat with them. Perhaps, Ola Rotimi should have titled his book, ‘Our Leaders Have Gone Mad Completely!’
It’s because of stance: write-ups and views like this, that I am not a ‘popular’ pastor yet. And, to blazes with such popularity! Till I see CHRIST in Glory, I’ll NEVER stop writing/preaching this, at least, till I see APPRECIABLE CHANGES in both the politicians and the religious leaders.
Now, to my reasons for this piece:
1. The way we elect/select leaders in this country is insane. Our electoral system is too monetized and rigged to favor the stupendously rich and crooked. We’re mostly insane to have allowed that to remain for this long!
2. Our 469 lawmakers (109 senators and 360 reps) do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, yet, they earn salaries, allowances and benefits, that are several multiples of what all the teachers in Nigeria, put together, earn. We must be mad to condone such! A few years ago, our government moved their madness to ‘PhD level’ by banning HISTORY in our schools. They banned the teaching of HISTORY in schools!!!??? ‘Awon were ayeraye!’ However, with some psychiatric and psychological intervention, they reversed that MADjestic decision, otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to tell you this.
3. In terms of natural and human resources, we’re one of the richest countries in the world, yet, we’re also referred to as the POVERTY CAPITAL of the world. How?!!!!! Our leaders (political and spiritual) buy jets and super expensive SUVs when their people are dying of poverty and deprivation. That’s confirmed madness, utter lack of priorities, and no knowledge of prioritization!
4. For over 34 years, and predating my University of Ibadan days, lecturers in Nigeria (ASUU) have been going on strike because of poor pay, underfunding and total disregard, on government’s part, for anything EDUCATIONAL, yet, parents, in churches, mosques and shrines, have not invoked the WRATH OF THEIR GODS on such evil leaders who are clearly destroying the future of their children, nor go RIOTING against them. Even the mad men and women roaming the streets know how to FIGHT FOR THE SEVERAL USELESS PROPERTIES THEY COLLECT on their mindless journeys, but my people ‘siddon dey look!’ Nigerians would rather play, and say they are praying! Praying to who?! Could they possibly be praying to the SAME GOD WHO TOLD MOSES TO TELL THE PEOPLE TO GO FORWARD (AND ‘DARE’ THE RED SEA) INSTEAD OF CRYING TO HIM?!
5. On the news, a few weeks ago, they talked about teachers in a particular region of the country who had not been paid for THREE (3) YEARS, yet, they continue to go to work. One of the analysts was so miffed that he wondered aloud, “What kind of very docile breed are Nigerians?! Who did this to us? How could a people be denied their salaries for THREE YEARS and they refused to down tools! What kind of government does that to her citizens, and especially TEACHERS?!!! But then, those teachers must be crooked themselves, and possibly getting money from somewhere else that may not be so righteous, else what kept them going for those years…..” He vented! Beats me too!
6. I doubt the Faith and Sincerity of the religious leaders (pastors and imams) who continually ask us to pray for our leaders and NIGERIA, and NEVER ASK US TO PRAY FOR JUDGMENT AND JUSTICE OVER THE WICKEDNESS AND INIQUITY OF OUR LEADERS AND THEIR LEADERSHIP. I have serious issues with the lifestyles of these same religious leaders who live in opulence like corrupt and rabid politicians. JESUS, Paul, Peter, James, John, and ALL the other Apostles listed in the Bible DIDN’T LIVE like our ‘jet-age’ (pun intended) pastors and terrorists’ apologist imams. Kai! Like leaders like followers ni! Hence, many church goers in Nigeria are crooked and manipulative, and very few Nigerian Christians are righteous and godly. For clarification, church goers are not the same as Christians o! Christians are living/working to be like CHRIST, but many church goers are living to be like those they admire (their pastors, elites, celebs, the devil, etc.) Our religious leaders have NOT be TRUTHFUL to Nigeria, and Nigerians!
7. Think about this for a moment: we pay all kinds of taxes, yet, there’s hardly any addition or improvement in our social infrastructure. Hospital, schools, roads, and other amenities are national embarrassments to both the governments (past and present) and the citizens. Every Nigerian is a local government to himself: generating his own power (GenPower), digging his own well/borehole, and mending the roads to his house/street. Then, we pull resources together in our different communities to buy transformers, cables and concrete poles, for connection to the so-called national grid, only for NEPA (government) to tell us that WHAT WE BOUGHT WITH OUR MONEY/INSTALLED WITH OUR SWEAT, (which they should have facilitated with our taxes), BELONGS TO THEM. And, we fold our arms and nod ‘Yes’ to that MADNESS! Walahi! Only truly mad people concede to such cheating and unreasonable brigandage from corrupt and wicked leaders. HABA! Who does that?! Where does such make sense?! Only in Nigeria, where the vast majority are not THINKING WELL ENOUGH!
8. And, perhaps, the most recent display of our national madness is the outrage of some ‘seemingly informed’ people over the Dangote Refinery. It’s pure asinine for any one to argue that, “Because Dangote has been a monopolist over sugar, salt and cement, he should not be allowed to monopolize petrol o!” That is madness of the highest order! Simply defined, MADNESS is the absence of DEDUCTIVE REASONING, while doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result! If a man was able to do what successive Nigerian governments, over forty years have refused/failed to do, THEN, LET HIM BREATHE! LET HIM THRIVE IN THAT SPACE, ESPECIALLY IF HE’LL BRING SOME SUCCOUR TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF NIGERIANS. But, some morons, who are probably destined (by their own stupidity and foolishness) to die in the mystery foisted on them by a leadership they have REFUSED to CONFRONT VEHEMENTLY and RESOLUTELY, would have none of it! And, I respect their MADjesties!
9. Last, but not the least, is the rate at which this generation is going raving naked (mad, actually) in the name of fashion/trends. For some two hours, yesterday, I sat inside Lekki Shopping Mall/Shoprite, waiting for a friend to pick me up. In those two hours, ‘wetin my eyes see, mouth and space no go contain am!’ A young lady came wearing only panties, with a beach shirt loosely covering it. Many others came with tops that their breasts were threatening to pop out from. ‘Walaitalai sumobilai yarasululai, no be lie I dey talk o!’ What more shall I say about the young men who had dreadlocks on, donning earrings and outfits that made them look like Denrele, Bobrisky and Freddie Mercury! Are we raising/rearing a mad/maddening generation ni or what?
Like me or loathe me, until we confront these TRUTHS head-on, and have the RIGHT ANSWERS, MINDSET and SYSTEMS, we’ll never know progress in Nigeria, even if you pray down Kilimanjaro!
It is well o!
Abi?!
DA