The Federal Government, FG of Nigeria and that of the oil sector have been urged to desist from perpetrating injustice against the citizenry particularly the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region.
An Anglican cleric and Lord Bishop of Etche Diocese, Rt. Revd. Precious Okechukwu Nwala, JP handed down the admonition while speaking as a guest preacher at the just concluded 3rd session of the Diocese of Ogoni with the theme, “Dry Bones Shall Rise Again” The Bible lesson was taken from Ezekiel chapter 37.
The Bishop while revealing the mystery of the dry bones in the valley said the Israelites were not naturally dead but slained by the enemies, and their bodies taken into various places in captivity as it was the Assyrian policy where captives were taken into different locations or nations.
Speaking on the topic, “The Birth Of A New Nation”, Bishop Nwala liken the unfair treatment meted to the Israelites to the suffering of the present day Rivers People and Nigeria at large where people are suffering unjustly in the midst of plenty.
“Nigeria took our oil, change its name and took the resources” against the residence of the producing areas, he said.
The oil that is named “Bonny Lite” is drilled from Etche land and taken underground to Bonny where it is refined and exported and changed the name to Bonny Lite rather than “Etche Lite”, the man of God lamented the injustice in the land and advocated that the people should return to God for a new creation.
The cleric told the people of Ogoni in the Cathedral Deaconry of St. Batholomew’s Anglican Church, Bera, that for them to achieve the expected new creation (Ogoni) devoid of injustice, sincerity must be inculcated since the face of God could not be sought by might or power.
He pointed out that the people must genuinely articulate what their problems are because people most times fight for what is not their problem, while condemning the act of idol worship which is more disastrous than the oppression of the Israelites in the past.
Bishop Nwala further noted that, it is not the will of God that those in oil region should be suffering from their God’s given resources, hence he would have created and placed them elsewhere, calling on the people to learn how to speak the truth to themselves and be courageous to withstand any kind of terror.
On the political crisis rocking the country the Bishop maintained that, there would no be deliverance without contention saying that when God is about to intervene in a situation, something must definitely come to the fore, hence expressing optimism that Nigeria would come out strong and united after the crisis.
The man of God, however, admonished citizens of Nigeria to desist from speaking evil against the country but see themselves as agents of change even in Ogoni while urging all to return to their respective communities to empower the people adding that “you are all Nigerians,” and that no stranger shall rule them, citing Jeremiah chapter 30, to buttress the claim that their leader must emerge within them.
According to the guest preacher, unemployment is never a justification for any crime but laziness is the reason for the crime.
He maintained that if the average man in the society is involved in changing the lifestyle of its citizenry, the society would be a better place and warned all rising against each other as that is the greatest weapon to destroy the society.
He called on the Federal Government to reconsider her steps in subjecting the people to poverty after taking what belongs to them. ###
James Mgboineme
