Nigeria: We can’t breathe

Nigerian rulers are really very special. When other leaders and countries are giving palliatives to their citizens and bailouts to their production and service sectors to cushion the effects of the current pandemic, our rulers (not leaders) are here inventing harsher policies to perpetually enslave and overburden us. The government has just increased the pump price of fuel and electricity rates. I mean in the midst of this overwhelming struggle by citizens sparked by their poor economic performance and complicated by the Chinese virus crisis. Yeah, things were really tough here even before the pandemic. Today, businesses are closing fast and millions of jobs are vanishing. Food and property prices have skyrocketed. People are desperate and hungry. Most Nigerians are stranded and the best our government could do is inflict more pain on them. But I don’t blame them. Do they and their children pay the rent for the house? Do you buy fuel? They are provided with everything they need and if they need more, they can pay for it through what they shamelessly take and save for their next generations. But we hear that the increases are so they can fund the budget. So it is only by collecting death taxes from already traumatized citizens that this government can finance its operations? Tell me. What budget? I hear you say budget of the rich by the rich and for the rich. They’ll fill in the estimates, award themselves the contracts, and also pay themselves even if the jobs don’t get done. And as I write, the country is on fire as citizens protest police brutality and the failure of the current government. The protest, which has resulted in dozens of deaths, has spread to the main cities of the country. Many government properties have also been burned down.

What immediately came to mind as this confusion unfolded was what Pharaoh did in the Bible. When Moses went to ask him to release the Israelites, the king was angered and instead of granting the request, he immediately increased his task and suffering, to permanently break his spirit and silence them forever. This is exactly what I see here. If this government wants to get more money, they know what to do. They can get it by cutting various excesses in wages, stacodes, allowances, expenses, etc. of the elected, selected and appointed officials of the various government bodies. They can get it by properly taxing the super-rich who own and flaunt their billions of investments and property without paying any tax. They may come from abolishing wasteful security votes that have become a gift to our elected officials. What happens to all the money in different currencies and property repossessed from corrupt leaders and officials of the past? Where are they? Has it been looted again as usual? We’ll get to that later. Why shouldn’t we take back the national assets, the oil wells, the companies and corporations that were criminally undervalued and sold to cronies, partners and relatives in the name of privatization etc.? We sold everything and yet we didn’t get half the value for it. Look at the electricity sector. It’s confusing everywhere. Distribution companies treat Nigerians like conquered slaves. They charge you whatever they want and they also force you to pay it or take away your electricity. It’s like there are no laws, no regulations, no supervision anywhere. No consumer protection. I was at the EEDC office in Abakpa-Enugu the other day and the shopkeepers were insulting and harassing the customers who questioned the Slavic banknotes. Those who used to pay 7,000 now pay 16,000 a month and they shouldn’t complain otherwise they keep you in the dark. They refuse to read your meter. They force you to be in estimated billing. We have no choice or alternative. We make? But why can’t we borrow from other countries like China, where the state provides basic services and still provides strong and adequate support to the private sector? Yes, we can try the mixed economy as total capitalism working for other people hasn’t worked here.

Dishonesty is the problem of our leaders. Most do not practice what they preach. They tell you not to steal but they loot with their pens and by proxy. They talk about democracy but they go ahead and rig elections and rule you by force. You ask them to catch the robbers and loot what is recovered from the robbers. Now the suspended head of the nation’s anti-corruption agency is under investigation. He is accused of failing to account for hundreds of houses and billions in different currencies seized from corrupt officials and groups. That’s looting loot again. And as the investigation progressed, the agency’s office that kept the records of such transactions was raided overnight and the computers containing the information for most of these transactions were taken. OMG! Was it a James Bond movie or what? What is the title please? We preach against importation, but everything we and our family use is imported. We talk about patriotism and nationalism, but we hate and murder other people every day. We insist on security, but we secretly support, finance and arm criminals. I have since stopped believing in any of them. Yes, we are not only fantastically corrupt but also fantastically, endemically, genetically evil, crooked and shameless! As I am writing I plugged in my phone to charge it and just a few minutes the charger stopped working. I can’t count how many chargers I’ve bought this year. Some will only work for three days or less. And no one is responsible for choking on all these products, materials, drugs, etc. false, which have not only emptied our pockets, but have caused thousands of deaths, fires, building collapses, accidents, etc. In fact, it’s suffocating. We can’t breathe here! And that was political, economic and then religious corruption enters.

Now, the shepherds who should bring us comfort also add to the pain. Pastor David Ibiyeomie of Salvation Ministries Port Harcourt made a spiritual and legal mistake when he cursed and threatened someone for not agreeing with the Scriptures with Bishop David Oyedepo, who he claimed is his father in the Lord . He called him a bastard, made fun of Somalis, made fun of the broadcasters and bragged about his power and money. Oh my God! Imagine how I felt as a journalist and a minister. And also imagine how your members, listeners and crew members who are journalists will feel. But why should a man of God stand in the pulpit and call people bastards and threaten to kill them and deal with them just because they don’t believe what you believe? And the ignorant and gullible congregation applauded? Slavery! Please, enough of this mischief in the name of preaching and ministry. God is not going to kill anyone because they criticized you. Who are you? Criticism is part of it. They criticized Jesus. So now you’re telling us you’re bigger than him? What I saw after watching that clip was the spirit of pride, materialism, and arrogance and it comes from a false feeling of accomplishment and accomplishment. Very unfortunate! This gospel has just been entrusted into our hands by his grace. We are by no means the most handsome, the most educated or the most intelligent. It was not given to us by merit. It’s just grace. The greatest achievement and legacy that you will leave here is that Christ is manifested and glorified in your life and in what you do. That’s why we were told not to brag about anything. These parents and children must turn to God and deal with his pride, boastfulness, arrogance, and excessive materialism. We came with nothing and we will definitely return to him with nothing. Can’t we learn? I hope this pastor immediately apologizes to those offended, Nigerians and the church for this mistake. He must do it if he really is a Christian and a true minister. Now, I want to tell our dear parents and their sons and grandsons and daughters to calm down. Please, brother Ibiyeomie, calm down. Yes, I’m telling you to calm down. May those who think they have live as if they have nothing and those who have not believe they have everything in Christ. Now, you have seen how this week’s report is. Yes, it’s because he’s drowning here and it’s so hard to breathe. God help us!

Gabriel is the author of the books/audiobooks: Power of Midnight Prayer, Never Again!, Uncommon Success and others https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Gabriel+Agbo&I=audible&ref=dp_byline_sr_audible_1