During the celebration of my 80th birthday, I, Rev. F.U.E Eboh, who is the Vice-Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Owa-Oyibu Division, felt the need to talk about critical issues facing Nigeria. In this article, I will examine the problems of bad leadership, religion, societal disunity, corruption, indiscriminate killings, educational backwardness, immorality and other sensitive issues. Furthermore, I will also proffer possible solutions and the way forward to these problems.
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Indeed, certain questions need to be considered and answered, so that positive changes can be made, which in turn, will ensure sustainable development. In short, if these questions are successfully answered, the ability of this generation to meet their needs will not jeopardize the capacity of future generations to meet theirs.
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Before we begin to think of answers, and solutions let us identify some of these problems/questions:
(1) How did we become an incompatible nation called Nigeria, bedeviled with disunity and many other vices?
(2) How did we get to this point, where rather than seeing Christianity as a way of life, it is seen and taken as merely a religion?
(3) Why is it that no matter the extent of a person’s legitimate income and fringe benefits/allowances, they still engage in criminal activities?
(4) How did we arrive at a situation where jobs contracted to companies are shoddily done, to the detriment of the public?
(5) How did we become a country that does not value the life of human beings, to the extent that people now value the life of cows more than human beings?
(6) Why are our educational institutions graduating unemployable graduates?
(7) How did we get to this level, where immorality is promoted at the expense of purity?
(8) Why is our nation engulfed in high profile criminal activities?
(9) How did we get to this point where elections have become a do or die affair?
(10) How did we arrive at this level where security outfits are tribalized and politicized?
(11) Why are the majority of persons in the society primarily concerned with short cut to success?
(12) Why are many sorcerers and magicians parading themselves as Pastors and Prophets with multitudes following them sheepishly?
I am very worried about all these vices that we are forced to live with. Their consequences are very dangerous. The purpose of asking the these questions is not merely to list them, but to find solutions to them.
It is said that “when you discover, you will recover”. As a stakeholder in my beloved country, I am obliged to contribute my quota to effect positive changes to all the vices plaguing the country.
I see the amalgamation of Nigeria like joining Iron with wood, which is practically impossible by any means. This is buttressed by the fact that in Nigeria today, while some people believe in development through western education, some persons feel that they don’t need Western education; while some groups of people believe in Christianity as a way of life, some citizens forbid Christianity; while some people believe in democracy, some do not believe in democratic processes.
Furthermore, the cultural diversity of Nigeria’s ethnic groups has helped ensured that the cultures of some groups are in parallel lines that tradition cannot meet. Since the constitution of Nigeria allows for freedom of association and Almighty God, the creator of Heaven and Earth has commanded that two must agree before they can walk together, everyone should be allowed to live with people of like mind, in order for peace and unity to reign.
Thank God that our constitution also allows for freedom of worship. People are free to worship anything they call their God (even lifeless gods) while others believe and worship a living God, the creator of Heaven, Earth and everything in them.
I feel that the people that worship lifeless gods and those that worship the living God should be in their own state to practice their religion without offending any each other.
The most dangerous trend today, is the practice of money-grabbing. In practicing corruption, a lot of persons are involved- from the person who organized the process, to the person who actually carries out the corrupt act. By this organized stealing, the initiator succeeds in involving other persons in the act. Hence, the whole society ends up being engulfed in corruption.
We must be disciplined. The Bible says that “Godliness with contentment is great gain”. We must know that we brought nothing into the world and we will not carry anything out. I implore everyone to live according to our legitimate income.
I appeal to those in authority to be prudent in spending public funds. The government should focus on elevating the standard of living of the masses. Also, contracted jobs should be properly done by the contractors according to specification.
Politics should not be a do or die matter. Rather than hiring an army of poor ignorant youths to engage in criminal affairs, politicians should focus on leveraging their manifestoes to tell the people what they intend to do for the them if voted into power. In short, they should stop distributing petty money, which the masses won’t even invest.
Previously, the herdsmen usually guide their cows, carrying sticks, bows and arrows. However, these men are now carrying sophisticated arms and ammunition. The government’s silence over this issue can be interpreted as being in connivance with the herdsmen. Indeed if our soldiers can defend our dear country from external attacks, then it is a small task for the law enforcement agents to calm down the activities of herdsmen. The government should address this issue and proffer solutions in order for them to win the trust of Nigerians. Anything short of this is a failure on the part of the government.
Education is the hallmark/indicator of development in any nation. Unfortunately, the educational sector is being challenged by the menace of exam. mal-practice. All forms of organized exam. mal-practice are serious criminal offence. The effect of exam mal-practice is now telling on Nigeria, as is being expressed in the fact that Nigerian higher institutions are now producing unemployable graduates. When certificates that cannot be defended by their bearers are issued, the result is shame and ruin to all the parties involved in the teaching and learning process and even the society.
I therefore appeal to all those involved in training/ teaching of pupils and students to take pains to do the needful, to ensure that the students are well prepared for not only their exams, but also the outside world. This will make them to become both employable and employers of labour.
One of the greatest weapons which Satan uses to bring down people is immorality. Immorality can bring down a giant. Any act of seduction, attracts God’s wrath, as God has told us to flee from sexual immorality, flee youthful lusts, and idolatry. God has warned that anyone who corrupts his or her body will be destroyed. Therefore I appeal to the body of Christ (Christians) to fight the good fight of faith well.
High profile criminal activities in the country are as a result of the people who are sponsoring it. There is no smoke without fire. The criminals are daring because of the backing of their God fathers. Jesus said “Whoever lives by the sword will die by the sword.” Thus, I am appealing to all those sponsoring them to look for better jobs to do. If they don’t, they and their children will pay the price one day.
The ravaging syndrome of ‘shortcut to success’ is doing our youths of this generation more harm than good. The way some of them display their ill-gotten wealth, has enticed other youths to venture into the “easy” but dangerous way to make money. Hence, miracle centres, Yahoo Yahoo, travelling to Libya, robbery, kidnapping, human trafficking have become the order of the day. My appeal is to all that are engaged in criminal affairs to disengage because God’s wrath is about to come upon all the hardened criminals.
Jesus, in prophesying about the end of the age said “false prophets and sorcerers will come as wolves in sheep clothing” (Mt 24 :24-26). He also said that by their fruits, you will know them. When their prophecy does not come to pass, it is not God that is speaking through them. If they charge you money before praying for you, it is not from God. Jesus said freely you have received, freely you shall give.
I must conclude this piece by advising that all hands should be on deck to salvage Nigeria from Idolatry, greediness and corrupt tendencies. Nigerians should be united in the resolve to put a stop to the drift towards the complete breakdown of the Nigeria Society.