Muscicians, oftentimes, operate in the realm of the prophetic. And some Nigerian musicians could be classified as musical prophets. Examples abound where musicians used their music to prophesy about yet-to-happen events. For example, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, 30 years ago, prophesied that Nigerians would be suffering and smiling in the face of lack. It was the same with Sir Victor Olaiya, who prophetically sang 25 years ago, “Ilu le o, kosi owo lode. Okunrin, nkigbe, Obirim kigbe, kaluku, lo nkigbe owo,” translated: Country is hard, there is no money in the system, the men are crying, the women are crying, everybody is screaming that there is no money in circulation.” Yet another musician, Eedris Abdulkareem, sang, “Nigeria Jaga Jaga” simply meaning, Nigeria has gone haywire. Indeed, these music prophets were singing about present-day Nigeria. Here is a country where insecurity has tumbled the economy. In other words, the economy is not healthy, as predicted by IMF that rated Nigeria among the eight poorest African countries, with Chad Republic topping the list. Most Nigerians Are now beggars, living in extreme lack and poverty. When there is insecurity, movement of citizens is curtailed and even restricted. Those cultivating the farms are afraid to venture into their farmlands, thereby creating scarcity of foodstuff and other products. Even the terrorists know that targeting farmers and livestock would definitely create scarcity, and the reserves when displeted would create inflation. No wonder, insecurity is a tool whereby people are impoverished. When there is prevalent hunger in the society, begging becomes the order of the day, while some people indulge in various criminal activities like burglary, armed robbery, harlotry, kidnapping for ransom, looting and rituals for money.
These prophetic musicians need to be further celebrated, although the governments during their time never heeded their warning of impending scarcity of foodstuff, not excluding the looming doom that would envelope the country.
In 2018, this writer had travelled to Cairo, Egypt, for surgery and while in my hotel apartment, a two-room suite in a 10-storey building, the type former Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai allegedly possessed and one wondered how those with the “bring-him-down syndrome” mentality did not reason that he had headed the United Nations multinational peacekeeping force for many years before his appointment by President Buhari. So, he was financially capable to purchase such an apartment, which is like a mini-Nigerian flat. Sorry for the digression.
Just remembered the baseless allegation which feeds gullible citizens with falsehood about leaders for no justifiable reason.
I was explaining what looked like a prophetic vision that I had while in Cairo. However, as I was about to sleep off without the air-conditioner, behold, I fell into a trance and I saw a vision of terrible happenings in my country, Nigeria. First, I saw a Bible quote from John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another,” which, after interpretation, gave me a better understanding of my spiritual journey in life. The second part of the vision, was about Nigeria, where I saw an impoverished country lacking in many things, while people were seen eating from the waste bins of the rich. It was so disturbing and devastating that parents where exchanging their newborn babies for food, while others were exchanging their children for money.
I rose from the trance very disturbed and immediately offered prayers. I have disclosed it to one of my sons and few close friends.
I also recall, regrettably, that during the Nigerian civil war, when insecurity was very rife, when there was no farming in the area known as Biafra, foodstuffs were very scarce as the people solely depended on food from foreign donors. In fact, the Federal Government was advised to use the scarcity of money and food to further impoverish the people to succumb into subjugation. The evil policy created massive hunger and many children were found suffering from what was known as “kwashiorkor” and other ailments due to malnutrition.
The country is in a mess, politically, economically, socially and security-wise.
Sadly, there are many unreported heinous crimes being perpetrated around the country, yet we wear smiling faces while bearing the brunt of suffering, as predicted by Fela Kuti. Even some politicians are not sincere, as they are more interested in their popularity and their pockets. The atmosphere around the country is not impressive: from the President’s home state, Katsina, where terrorists now have a stronghold, to Zamfara, where they are making lives unbearable for the people, and in Kaduna where Governor Nasir el-Rufai resently cried out to the President about the activities of terrorists being in charge of parts of the state. Heinous crimes are being perpetrated even on the highways, the railway transport system that has been shut down because of terrorist attacks and abduction of train passengers.
Increasing corrupt practices by leaders and the citizens, many reason that the country is on the verge of not only collapsing due to brazen injustice but also due to unpopular policies of government. Thousands of terrorists that had shed innocent blood and destroyed buildings are being received as “repentant” terrorists, while government officials that had emptied Nigeria’s treasury are given presidential pardon and are celebrated. Many reasonable homosapiens are, therefore, asking, why set up the anti-graft agencies and even the police?
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Nigeria Customs: Good example of Inter-agency collaboration
Synergy
The Nigeria Customs Service is one security agency that, like a cash cow, is dependable, loyal, evidently prosperous and faithful in its constitutional mandate.
Since the appointment of the ex-soldier as Customs Comptroller General on August 27, 2015, Hameed Ibrahim Ali, who is an officially retired but not tired Colonel of the Nigerian Army, a lot has been achieved in the service.
An adage says, “Judging the cover of a book, has no relevance without opening and reading the content.” It is like what the advertisers say about an unadvertised product, which is, winking at a lady in the dark.
The Customs Service is a unique organization that can be likened to the goose that lays the golden egg that has, over the year, continued to lay such golden eggs that put food on the national table of Nigeria.
The organization has evolved in all ramifications and the Federal Government seems to be very impressed with the new strongman at the helm.
When he assumed office as the Comptroller-General of Customs, the first military officer to be so appointed, tongues wagged and many Nigerians saw it as an aberration. Even the stakeholders almost took to the streets and even threatened to down tools at the ports.
(To be continued)
