R.I.P MR IKONSHENSI

 

I was thinking this morning... I was born to know Mr Ikonshensi. He was a very friendly, noble and great man. Though he wasn't married and had no family, he was part of every family in the community. No one knew exactly where he was from or how old he was but he was well respected in the community. He was always there to help everyone resolve any conflict, either between two persons or between a man and the community. Whenever the Community leaders sat to decide the affairs of the community, Mr Ikonshensi will be there to guide them in favour of the people.

As time went by, people started being rude to Mr Ikonshensi. I didn't understand why but it seems they were jealous of his influence. When they did something wrong and Mr Ikonshensi intervenes, he will be ignored. When the elders gathered and Mr Ikonshensi walks in, he will be excused and told to sit outside until he was called in.

After months of enduring the disrespect, Mr Ikonshensi decided to no longer intervene in the affairs of the community. He stayed indoors most of the time. Many were happy with his decision saying that 'his know-know was too much.' Others that appreciated his value, did nothing when he was being disrespected.

Not many years after, Mr Ikonshensi departed the Community without anyone noticing. The few that noticed made no serious effort to appease him and bring him back to the community. The majority cared less and moved on with their lives. Five years became ten and then twenty, Mr Ikonshensi did not return. There were rumours that he had died but some were certain he had started a new life in a far away community.

It wasn't long before things started falling apart in the community. Greed and selfishness had taken hold of everyone. The elders cornered all the community land for themselves. Families were crumbling and no one could help because Mr Ikonshensi had long gone.

The account of Mr Ikonshensi is an allegory of how we lost our conscience in Nigeria. When I read the news of a village school collapsing on innocent children in Zamfara, a state where politicians recently spent billions to buy SUVs for themselves, and how the National Assembly padded the 2024 budget to the tune of N3.7 trillion, in a country where millions are starving, my heart cried 'Oh God, where is our conscience?' Please come back, Mr Ikonshensi.

Is your conscience alive, dull or seared with hot iron? (1st Timothy 4:2).

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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