WHY MANY NIGERIANS WILL NOT MAKE HEAVEN

 

I was thinking this morning.... I was in Abuja this past week for business. On the return leg, we boarded one of the newly acquired Air Peace Embraer 195-E2 aircraft. As the door of the aircraft was shut, I switched off my phone as I was wont to and settled into this sleek machine ready for take-off. The cabin crew as part of pre-takeoff procedure, announced that all electronic equipment MUST be switched off. Thereafter, the very nice hostess went row by row reminding passengers to switch off their phones.

As we taxied, I looked around and observed many had ignored the crew's directive to switch off their phones, while some, including a young student besides me, simply switched to flight mode. I shook my head in worry, wondering why it is so difficult for Nigerians to obey simple instructions including one designed to save our lives.

As soon as we touched down in Lagos, the cabin crew announced the disembarkation procedure stressing that we will be disembarking starting from the front row. He announced that everyone should remain seated until the row in front of them is clear. I watched in disbelief as most people at the back disobeyed and stood up to leave as soon as the aircraft door was opened. Really? Is it that we are hard of hearing, too dense to understand or we were just born rebels?

If we cannot obey simple instructions as adults, how can we expect our children to obey us their parents? We disobey traffic and other safety instructions as easily as we drink ice cold water on a hot sunny day. Some of these instructions are so simple that it will cost us nothing to obey, yet we disobey. Why? The way we rebel against simple instructions will make the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan look like kids playing tug of war. If we can't switch off our phones for flight take off, why do we complain when politicians disobey court judgement?

I worry for Nigerians because if we cannot obey man's instructions, how can we obey God's instructions? With the way we behave, many Nigerians will not make heaven because Romans 13:1-2 says: "Obey the government, for God is the One who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. So those who refuse to obey the law of the land are refusing to obey God.

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

EVEN GARRI GO HUMBLE

 

I was thinking this morning..... I was listening to Morning Crossfire on 92.3 FM radio last Tuesday on my way to work when a caller gave an interesting Nigerian pidgin English proverb. Growing up in Warri means I am very familiar with pidgin English proverbs, but 'I kowtow for this one.' He said, 'Na only hot water go make garri stick together in unity.'

As I drove along, I couldn't but ponder on the import of the proverb. First, for those not familiar with garri, it is Nigeria's legendary 'cereal' made from cassava. There are different ways one can enjoy garri, most of which will be enjoying the garri in grains, but only one way to make garri stick together. If you 'soak garri' in lukewarm water, the grains 'work in silos' even if you add groundnut as an enabler. Likewise, soaking garri in ice-cold water, add milk and groundnut. Wow! Delicious, but the grains will still not unite. That's why it is described as 'drinking garri.' If you know, you know.

The only language garri understands to make them unite is to add boiling water. Suddenly, all the grains will find reasons to come together. At this point, they will be collectively called Eba. If for some strange reasons, the garri is still stubborn and refuse to unite in hot water, in Delta state where I come from, we expose it to a bit more heat and it becomes Kpokpo-garri (Cassava flakes or Tapioka). I remembered the Kpokpo-garri and steak I was served at an event in Warri last Friday and understood that the grains were unified under duress.

It is expected that we stick together, so we can achieve more with less but for selfish reasons many want to act solo. We promote division and fight one another until things fall apart and hardship dawns, then we see the need for unity. Some have fanned the embers of disunity for so long and now we are in hot water as a nation. If we remain stubborn and refuse to unite, the heat is coming with kpokpo-garri in view.

If you are not a team player or you are working against the unity of your group, church or country, change now because even garri humbles in the presence of hot water. Psalms 133:1 says 'Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!'

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

THIS ABUSIVE SOOTUATION

 

I was thinking this morning...... I got into the office on Thursday morning and was booting my computer when my colleague walked in. 'Good morning' he said as he dropped his bag. In my usual manner, I responded 'good morning' and asked 'are you happy today?' He responded 'Hmm! I am trying not to be overwhelmed by Nigeria.' 'How so?' I asked. 'This methanol adulterated petrol (PMS) wahala and the response of the government is really annoying,' he said taking his seat. My brother, considering the economic, physical and mental torture we suffer, living in Nigeria is like being in an abusive relationship.

Yes, that's how it feels. In an abusive relationship, your partner has a controlling and possessive behaviour, he accuses you of being unfaithful or of flirting. He puts you down either publicly or privately and blames you for the problems in the relationship. He threatens to use and sometimes does use violence against you.

To many Nigerians in Abuja and Lagos, the wahala they've faced as a result of this toxic fuel is like being in a toxic relationship. With all the hardship in Nigeria, they have to also contend with the challenge of their car engines knocking. While NNPC and the ministry are playing the blame game, victims are left to their fate. What else is this akin to if not an abusive relationship?

If you are in Port-Harcourt like some of us, then the 'sootuation' is worse. Having faced economic battle, you still have to contend with the environmental pollution from soot from Kpo-fire (illegal refining of crude). You get home to lack of electricity and have to struggle to sleep with the noise from your neighbours generators. The next morning you wake up with an headache. Oh God, deliver us from leaders making Nigeria look like an abusive relationship.

After stressing out your body, videos of yahoo boys eating poo and of ritual killings are more than enough to stress you mentally, making you question whether you should not get out of this relationship as advised by marriage counsellors. Many have already 'japa'ed' but some of us will be here and will pray and put this abusive partner under pressure until he changes (Jeremiah 29:7). This abusive sootuation must stop. 2023 on my mind.

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

YAHOO BOYS CANCER

 

I was thinking this morning.... Last Friday, 4th February, as the world celebrated World Cancer Day, my thought was set on another form of cancer, which I call YBC (Yahoo Boys Cancer). I once heard someone say 'wahala be like yahoo boys, you no fit enter shoprite, make you no see them.' Meaning the yahoo boys are everywhere. This disease that many thought was benign has become malignant with the entrance of yahoo plus and yahoo plus-plus.

I recently renovated my house in Warri and put up the flats for rent. After due diligence on the prospective tenants, I discovered over 90% of them were yahoo boys. When I asked the agent what is going on, he said, 'Oga, na only yahoo boys dey pay better rent these days.' Like really?

Days ago, my friend and pastor, a crusader of discipline everywhere including the house of God, raised an alarm on how yahoo boys are now invading the church going after Christian teenage girls. The cancerous cells are mutating, taking up a religious outer covering. My God! Who can deliver us from this cancer?

The most frightening dimension of this cancer is that it has spread to the heart and lungs of our nation. Our political leaders that scammed us to get to power and then loot of our collective treasury has made the disease of yahoo boys look like craw-craw. We've become a nation of scammers.

A simple biopsy of this Yahoo Boys cancer revealed the complete failure of our educational and value systems to be at the root of this disease. However, the greatest enabler of this disease is our collective indifference. Chai! If we all carry on with this 'ewo lo nkanmi attitude,' who will deliver us from this cancer?

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun tried and days later cried for help that these criminals are after his life because he is all out to fight this menace. YBC has become a national epidemic and we must act now. According to oncologist, one of the best ways of handling cancer is to surgically get rid of the tumor (Matthew 5:29). I don talk finish, over to you.

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey