‘Be strong and courageous – I will never fail or forsake you (Joshua 1: 5-7’
Introduction
Have you ever faced a challenge that left you feeling inadequate, afraid and completely paralyzed? The great Biblical heroes and heroines undoubtedly suffered and experienced the same weaknesses as you do. Joshua, Moses and others never started as mighty men of faith, but also felt inadequate and incompetent. Nevertheless, they felt compelled to carry on only with the divine assurance that the Lord will go with them every step of the way and fulfill His promise to His children. Apparently, we then come to understand that conflicts, crisis and challenges are inevitable in our fallen, fragmented and broken world; But for us Christians, turning to the Lord in prayer is always the best way to respond in a crisis situation. When we are more dependent on others (creatures) than we are on God the (Creator) then our lives are thrown into confusion. In the face of the utter restlessness and hopelessness of our time, we should exercise extra vigilance and caution, and deepen our relationship with the sovereign Lord who is our only lasting refuge.
Justifiable anger
Anger you know is dangerous and can shut down communication and break relationships apart. This was our experience recently when Nigerians were angry over the sudden and shocking fuel subsidy removal . While we can think of many reasons in the light of the state of affairs in the nation to justify our anger, the only view point that matters is the Lord’s. This collective anger boiled over into an explosive expression of rage that hurts not only the Federal Government but the generality of the masses. Massive street protest, mass rallies, shutdown were held by Nigerians across the federation to demonstrate their annoyance and displeasure with the Federal Government over the fuel subsidy removal.
During the period, many flee to their home States for fear of losing their lives during the nation - wide protest against the fuel subsidy removal called by organized Labor and Civil Liberty Groups; Curfew was imposed in some states for security reasons; several people were attacked and brutalized by security operatives in some states; unfounded and misleading rumor and text messages were making their rounds to cause confusion and panic and so to inflame religious tension and sectarian conflicts; some miscreants were alleged to have taken part in looting, extortion and burning of some political campaign offices in some States; financial analyst said the government and companies lost so much revenue and profits as the sea and air ports were shut; traders selling perishable goods watched them decay and livestock farmers who could not buy feeds for their animals watched them died slowly.
The leadership question
This unprecedented protests shook the nation to its foundation and raised several issues on the leadership question, poor governance and endemic corruption at all level. Thanks to God that normalcy has gradually returned again after the one week of national paralyzing strike and street protest following the extensive consultation with stakeholders and the announcement of the downward review in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from 141 naira to 97 naira per litre. The Federal Government should take a bold step to carefully review and investigate the activities in the oil and gas sector in order to sanitize the petroleum industry, tackle inherent corruption, punish those found culpable without sparing individuals and corporate groups, demand for accountability and transparency in the oil and gas sector and strive to restore confidence in that sector. Since the bonds of trust between the government and the people is weakened, it should do all it can to build confidence again, govern with justice and fairness, invest in its people and provide economic and political freedom for an enduring and sustainable democracy.
Although we live in unsettling times when political alliances, financial systems and ethical standards are wobbling and shaking; although our families are in crisis and many marriages are crumbling and our condition is worsening; and we are seeing the decay of the structures upon which we have based our national pride and hope. Our hope is not completely lost. We should collectively develop a new relationship and strategy based on mutual trust that would motivate us to promote the dignity of all peoples as we journey towards our common ultimate goal.
Challenges for the New Year
The challenges before our government are numerous. Challenges such as peace, and security and economic development, poverty eradication, food and energy shortage, ethnic and regional strife, human rights, democracy, good governance and environmental sustainability among others. The government should squarely combat the climate of poverty in Nigeria by challenging unjust and oppressive structures that keep our people in poverty through high unemployment, dependency on foreign aid and inadequate health care. There is no doubt that the effects of the climate of poverty is greatly magnified by environmental degradation caused by poverty and cultural practices. The root cause of our poverty is bribery and corruption, lack of good merit system and the implementation of sound economic policies. This has made vast majority of Nigerian rural population, 80 percent to live below the poverty line.
In fact, the level of poverty forces many families to send their children out on to the streets to hawk and sell produce, chewing gums, sweets, kolanuts, pure water and do some menial jobs at times, thereby denying them the chance to go to school. The government must do everything within its power to provide educational and recreational facilities and activities for our children and youth; take positive steps to improve living conditions for Nigerians, provide good access to employment and health facilities for all citizens.
Conclusion
We live in a period of great restlessness and fear. But even then, God is in control as the Lord of the universe and master of every situation. He has place these challenge before us as a developing people, and we must not retreat or try to avoid them. Therefore, the happenings and developments around us should perpetually rouse our consciences in a very timely manner, to confess and recognize our need of God who is the pride and honor of his people, and also the solid foundation and support for everything. It should challenge us as citizens of Nigeria to keep our eyes on God and faithfully follow His instructions and divine will. Then He will lead us into a deeper relationship with Him and greater opportunities to serve and build our nation. Our job is to stay focused on God and obey Him – not the difficulty of our challenges. Now is the time to unite together to help build a virile and stable Nigeria. Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Rev. Fr. Michael Adefemi Adegbola, Director Media Service Centre, Kaduna Nigeria 2012
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