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 (non-leaders) are here inventing harsher policies to perpetually enslave and overburden us. The government has just increased the pump price of fuel and electricity tariffs. I mean in the midst of this overwhelming struggle of citizens caused by their poor economic performance and complicated by the Chinese virus crisis. Yes, things were really tough here even before the pandemic. Today, businesses are rapidly closing and millions of jobs are vanishing. The prices of food and goods 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 house rent? Do they 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 that they can fund the budget. So is it 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 will fill out budgets, award themselves contracts and also pay themselves even if 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 set on fire.

What immediately came to mind as this confusion unfolded was what Pharaoh did in the Bible. When Moses went to ask him to free the Israelites, the king became angry 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 out various excesses in salaries, stakes, allowances, expenses, etc. of the elected, selected and appointed officials of the different government bodies. They can get it by properly taxing the super-rich who own and flaunt their billions of investments and properties without paying any taxes. They may come from the abolition of wasteful security votes that have become a gift to our elected officials. What about all the money in different currencies and properties recovered from corrupt leaders and officials of the past? Where are they? Is it looting 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 electrical sector. It’s confusing everywhere. Distribution companies treat Nigerians like conquered slaves. They charge you what they want and they also force you to pay it or they take your electricity. It is as if 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 customers who questioned Slavic banknotes. Those who used to pay 7,000 now pay 16,000 a month and they shouldn’t complain if they don’t keep you in the dark. They refuse to read your meter. They force you to be on 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 the basic services and yet strongly and adequately supports the private sector? Yes, we can try the mixed economy since total capitalism working for other people has not 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 thieves and loot what is recovered from the thieves. 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 officials and corrupt groups. That’s loot loot again. And as the investigation progressed, the agency’s office that kept records of such transactions was broken into 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 kill other people every day. We insist on security, but secretly we 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! While 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 also caused thousands of deaths, fires, building collapses, accidents, etc. In fact, it is suffocating. We can’t breathe here! And that was political, economic and then religious corruption enters.

Now, the shepherds who should bring us comfort are also adding to the pain. Pastor David Ibiyeomie of Salvation Ministries Port Harcourt made a spiritual and legal mistake when he cursed and threatened someone for disagreeing with the Scriptures with Bishop David Oyedepo, whom he claimed is his father in the Lord . He called him a bastard, mocked the Somalis, the announcers and bragged about his power and money. Oh my God! Imagine how I felt as a journalist and 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 stop 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 that 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 sense of accomplishment and achievement. 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 on merit. It’s just grace. The greatest achievement and legacy that you will leave here is that Christ manifest and glorify himself in your life and in what you do. That’s why we were told not to brag about anything. These parents and children must return to God and deal with his pride, boasting, arrogance, and excessive materialism. We came with nothing and will definitely return to him with nothing. Can’t we learn? I hope this pastor will immediately apologize to the offended, the Nigerians and the church for this mistake. He must if he is indeed 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 had nothing and those who have not believe they have everything in Christ. Now, you’ve seen how this week’s report is. Yes, it is because here he is drowning and it is very difficult 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