It has over the years become a witty saying that heaven helps those who help themselves. This by implication means according to Adewale in Ola Rotimi’s “The gods Are Not To Blame”, “Man has to struggle”. Adewale, the king further said, “not to do something is to be crippled fast”. This was the decision that later turned him to the husband of his own mother, a sacrilege indeed. An idle man/woman my father told me, is the devil’s workshop. So truly, one has to do something. But pause a bit and ask yourself, in this country, what are people doing?
Right from my tender age, I was told that there are Laws, norms, rules and regulations that govern humanity and that those who violate these set rules are bound to be punished. So as I grew up, my father would tell me, “don’t find trouble, don’t fight, don’t steal, etc.” I tried my best with the sustaining grace of the Almighty and the uncomparable disciplinary measures of my parents to eschew evil. But in my neighbourhood, there were children who were either not properly cultured or who were intransigent to rules and whom I felt were not in line with the dictates of society. In school, as I grew up, there were pupils and students who never acted according to the laid down rules. In dressing, in conduct etc. some people took to cultism, some refused to go to school, some did not even go to church where Sunday School Teachers would mend their lives, some would not help their parents during holidays, some would even commit the abomination of fighting and stoning their parents.
In the larger society, those I felt were not acting right, that is, those who practice voodooism, those who got initiated into ocultic practices, those who drink and engage in unbridled free talking, bizarre of trouble making and what have you, are really those who are now called politicians.
Let’s pause again. Is this an ideal situation? What then is the essence of being good? What a hell that a cultist is called a politician with juicy appointments. You visit the villages and see University drop outs enthroned as councilors, advisers to governments, supervisors, in the Local Governments, etc. When you ask who the politicians in these villages are, they will tell you, those boys who carry gun, matchetes, cutlasses, knives, short axes, etc. when you visit the Local Government Headquarters, you see these boys everywhere around the secretariat. They are the same people you see around on election days in terrible looks, with dangerous weapons and you ask yourself, are these weapons, the voter’s cards? What they do with these weapons is to terrorize their opponents and scare away good people from political scene. Another name for them is “thugs”. Their work is to create violence, hijack ballot boxes, beat up their opponents, etc. These are what they call politics in this country. As a good and law abiding citizen who eventually cast his lawful vote and went back to his house (for those who are able to surmount the threat to life and violence and vote), he is nobody to the person he voted for. He cannot have his request attended to because he was not one of those who carried gun or other Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). If you like, be wiser than Solomon, so long as they see you, you are worst than an infidel. Bloody civilian you would be called. The juicy appointments are given to these thugs, cultists, drop outs, out laws, etc. Afterall, the question they would ask you is; “What did you do other than voting?” These thus forced the society into a situation of mass poverty of good people.
This is a direct affront to a society like Nigeria where human resources abound. This also accounts for the dearth of good legacies after fourteen (14) years since 1999 especially in the South-South and South-East geo-political zones in this country. It is quite disturbing to note that only people of questionable and dubious character now parade at the corridors of power. Very worrisome that the women trooping into politics today are mainly divorcees and widows turned political prostitutes or those who are domestically intransigent and marritally down-trodden, so militarily-wifely or put it in a proper perspective, husbandly womanly. Do you call them iron ladies? Na you sabi? They are the society ladies and I pity their innocent husbands. Very few real ideal women are there but frankly speaking as appointees than players. They are the real models of womanhood and the pride of this country. They are women of principles and integrity. They include Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Prof. Dora Akunyili, Prof. Ndi Okereke Onyiuke, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, Dr. Nenadi Usman, etc. truly they constitute only about 10% of the women population in politics today.
We have to note with particular emphasis that bad people will always formulate bad policies and the result is a total bad and inefficient governance wherein the people will perpetually suffer. It is disheartening indeed. I pity Nigeria. Do you know that it has got to the level that one could be given just a peanut as price to assassinate political opponents? Any way, one day these boys will either be caught or liberated and they shall confess and then we shall know their sponsors. Or they shall soon kidnap their sponsors when their agreements (for their violent roles in politics) are breached.
As a good youth, the situation has been that you must play ball else you are useless. Hence you see graduates from universities, carrying guns during elections to earn them a mere P.A. or S.A. to a drop out or under graduate leader or even earn a central messenger.
Instead of paying small stipends to under graduates as “bursary”, political leaders would rather “empower” youths by way of purchasing weapons for them to eliminate their perceived opponents. They would buy them cigarettes, engage them in useless battles, crisis etc. they purchase buses for these thugs and sometime camp them to unleash mayhem on their political rivals. This is the economic empowerment and poverty eradication of their manifesto.
And to the youths who seemed to have mortgaged their future conscience and destiny to these heartless politicians, shall you have a rethink and meditate over the sufferings of your parents? Will you remain a thug forever? What will you gain from thuggery, cultism and violence? What have you thought of your life? A used and dumped? To carry gun and die for a worthless politician? Can’t you be a big man like your “Oga”. Remember, no politician is worth your precious blood. God has a purpose for you. And it can’t be what you are doing presently. You must certainly arise, wake up and trace your way back to your real destiny. Remember, any man that continues to tell you to kill or carry gun is not helping you. Why is he not asking his children to carry gun or kill? Because he loves them. He does not thus love you. Remember, “Oga’s” children are in the best schools while you carry gun and die. Oga believes you are not worthy of living. Can you see that even “Oga’s” little child still expects you to worship him or her? Abba! Oga has not told you the truth. So liberate yourself today, break the jinks, get delivered today and please don’t die for nothing. Stop pleasing oga to displease yourself and your family. You better be good for nothing in their government than be bad for something in the hands of politicians. They will use you and kill you. Lest I forget, Jesus told Peter, he that carries sword will die by the sword. Be wise for once. It is true that good people now suffer neglect in the hands of politicians or “self acclaimed politicians” but it can’t be forever. The Bible says and I verily believe that “what God does, it shall be for ever”. So only what God ordains shall be eternal. The victory of evil over good is only temporary. It is bad philosophy to say that if you can’t beat them join them, so bad. Good people, continue to be good because soon, too soon, evil shall surrender for good in this country. Then, cultism, thuggery, violence and bigotry shall give way to an atmosphere of civility. Thanks for being good. ###
Barr. Gideon Kpoobari Girigiri
08036784327
