Stop turning Nigeria into the devil’s playground

Those beating the drums of war, with their tactless tongues and others stoking the flames of disunity with their treasonable songs, in our dear nation, Nigeria must be reminded that war is not picnic in paradise. War, propelled by the twin evils of Hatred and Anger, escalates to the fore over unresolved, yet preventable misunderstanding between communities and countries. The winged monster rides on the wave crest of base sentiments; fuelled by hate speeches given a free reign by the powers that be. They do so for fleeting political power, either to massage sheer ego or satiate their mania for money and materialism.

Unfortunately, its effects are horrendous as war epitomises grim physical dislocation, grave social disruption, mind- bending mental trauma, searing starvation and rampaging diseases. Painfully, the elderly, women and children who constitute the most vulnerable group usually become the voiceless victims of wasteful wars!

My dear cherished reader, the piece you have just read through was a piece of warning to fellow Nigerians as written by yours truly, severally published by the media. That was back in June, 2017 and reflected on page 238 of ‘Drumbeats of Democracy’ also by yours truly. That was some nine odd years ago. The title of the piece was: “Don’t turn Nigeria into the devil’s playground”. But has it not been turned into one by the enemies of state, as at this day?

Read also: The devil is in the measurement

That is the all-important, critical question. The answer of course, is patently obvious.

Sad as it may sound, yes, it has! Name it, from brutal, beastly and blood-letting acts of terrorism, such as killings and kidnapping through the shameful and scandalous figures of millions of Nigerians stewing in the pitiable pot of poverty down to the wobbling bridge of inter-ethnic distrust and disunity they all confront us clearly like the wavy lines on our palms.

For instance, between 2017 and 2026 over 90,000 fellow Nigerians have fallen victims of terrorists’ attacks.

Hundreds of thousands were kidnapped within the same period while 139 million Nigerians, are currently suffering from poverty. But the pain of it all is that our political leaders whose main constitutional function is to guarantee the people’s security and provide for their welfare, going by Section 14, Sub-section (2) (b) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) keep chasing the shadows of hanging onto power by personalising it as if the country is their personal property.

Every time precious lives are wasted, we are regaled with shedding of crocodile tears and the rhetoric that they will do something to deal with the terrorists. But meanwhile, some state government officials openly negotiate with the terrorists while the sources of the arms and ammunition that the killers boast of are traced to this same set of people. And it has become a crying shame that while some victims of terrorism were being beheaded in Borno, Oyo and Benue states what mattered more to the political elite is the sharing of rice, noodles, cash and cars all because of 2027 general elections instead of taking proactive measures for the protection of irreplaceable human lives. No display of empathy at all. You cannot but ask yourself if you are watching a nerve-tingling midnight horror film, or the 21st Century Nigeria.

One’s source of great concern therefore, is that all these anomalies could have been avoided. That is, if, firstly we all have strong allegiance to the nation-state called Nigeria instead of being daily enmeshed in ethno-religious sentiments, biases and openly praising our unrelenting oppressors, instead of telling them the bitter truth. So, what should we-both the leaders and the majority of the people -be doing to right the many wrongs gradually gravitating the country into that of chaos and anarchy? The answer is not far-fetched.

Methinks that we should first and foremost stop self-deception. We must-and I repeat- must anchor our thoughts, words and actions on the fear of God, our all- powerful Maker. What are we going to tell Him on the Judgment Day? How are we going to defend all our evil acts, including the huge sums of public money we have stolen, the people we have lied to, cheated in one way or the other and worse still those we have killed for one reason or the other, all because of transient political power?

As one stated back then in 2017 Nigerians should come to term with the Biblical warning that: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers as well as rulers of darkness in high places” (Ezekiel 28; verse 12-17). Nigeria is immensely blessed but the devil is not happy about it Through Magog, the demon of war he instigates anger, hatred to embolden those sponsoring terrorists, if possible, to cause war. Through the Beast, the demon of bloodshed he goes after innocent people ‘s blood and through Mammon, the demon of money he is behind leaders whose main mantra is how to acquire wanton wealth, not minding the means and get to power to satisfy their selfish ambitions, instead of seeking for the common good.

Oh yes, if our political leaders are driven by the philosophies of the fear of God and doing to others how they want to be treated, as well as always remembering that all the mansions, the expensive property and globe-trotting are but vanity upon vanity as the Biblical wisest and richest man, King Solomon described them, we would humble ourselves and put the people and the nation we claim to serve above all our selfish inclinations.

By so doing, and being propelled by the mantra of legacies-of what we would be remembered for – we would save Nigeria from being turned into the devil’s playground and millions of innocent lives from needless worries, fear, trepidation, lack, poverty and pains. Think about this and practise what you preach.