NIGERIA vs AMERICA

Peter rushed into the studio screaming, feigning an alarmed look, ‘Breaking news: Obama has been kidnapped!!!’, ‘how that wan fit happen na?’, someone said, chuckling. ‘Why not?’, i asked. ‘What’s so special about America sef?’ #mssstcheeeeeew# i hissed.

It seemed i had some kind of contempt against America; No way! I appreciate and respect them. However, the Truth was, i was upset. Upset with i saw and heard earlier that day. Upset with the disorientation and lazy minds of ‘some people’. I was upset that some people were also cashing on the ‘lazy minds’ of others. I’m Upset that we ‘all’ want to escape from our responsibilities, our values, our inheritance...doesn’t it mean anything anymore?

#earlier in the day#   There they were, at a busy junction with loud speakers and fake ‘oyibo’ accent calling out to people to come apply for America Visa Lottery, so they can live & work in America. Only civility kept me from walking in there (to scatter all their stuff) and asking the questions they had stirred in my heart, ’What is wrong with Nigeria?, ‘Can’t it be fixed?’, Why are we trying to running away and making a public show of it?’, ’who will fix our land if we all elope to ‘paradise’, ‘Are the authorities aware of this and keeping numb?’ Who throws away the baby with the bath water?

I wouldn’t say i’m surprised, but it’s sad that we aren’t proud enough of our country.  I would have made a clarion call, ‘Arise o’ compatriots, Nigeria’s call obey...’ but alas! Some our leaders & citizens can’t even sing or recite the two stanzas of the National Anthem, not to mention the National pledge.

As a regular viewer of TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network), every time i hear America Preachers calling out, pleading that we (the world watching) pray for America because God’s wrath is falling upon them as evident in the economic depression, social & moral decadence, political crisis, natural disasters etc.  All a resultant of their utter abandon of the values that formed the foundation of their country, neglecting the one thing that made them great, biting the fingers the fed them, endorsing being gay, legalising & sponsoring abortion, promoting liberal living and nudity etc. My prayers go out to God on their behalf because many nations idolise America, so i pray for their quick divine deliverance and by extension, other countries.

On the other hand, we have our Nigeria, a country that fears God, blessed with abundant resources, beauty & brains, rich in values, morals, respect for family, life...yet we want to run to America in the name of ‘greener pasture’. Your house is dirty, so you decide to move into your neighbour’s apartment instead. Shame on you!

My precious people, permit me to borrow a line from Uncle Matthew’s book, the 5^th chapter,paragraph 16, , “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven”. Despite our present seemingly situation, i know deep down in my spirit, i see it in the smiles of the children, our joyful disposition no matter the prevailing issues...i see light, i see victory, i see change, i see love, i see God...let us partner with God for change in Nigeria and our success will know no bounds. Let’s Go Back to God (in repentance & humility) & take America with us.

                                ‘...The Labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain, to serve with heart and might, one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.’

So help us God.

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