It may not be too hard to hazard a guess on how many Nigerians are getting remote-controlled by the devil now. Just monitor the media. It’s bad news everywhere. I have always believed that Boko Haram insurgents are demonic. If not, they would have read in the Qur’an they claim as holy book that Allah warned Muslims not to desecrate churches and monasteries. But the insurgents began their evil campaign bombing churches and killing Christians.
Then, they graduated into bombing mosques and killing fellow Muslims in the name of God. Which God? Only the devil would lead anyone or group into making innocent girls and boys commit suicide under the guise of promoting a religion. But for the fact that they are being led by the devil that would not stop until its adherents have been led to doom, Boko Haram insurgents would have surrendered and the senseless war ended. From controlling bases in nine states, the military has almost routed the insurgents, yet they won’t give up. Only a group led by the devil would continue to fight a war it cannot win, a war without a just or sensible cause.
But it’s obvious that Boko Haram insurgents are not the only ones the devil is goading to damnation. Again, just monitor the media, traditional or social.
Recall that recently, some misguided youths opened gunfire on early morning worshippers at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Anambra State, killing 13 people and wounding 18 others in an unprecedented display of savagery. Only the devil could have influenced such mindless mass murder of innocent men, women and children.
Again can you see what the devil is capable of? A notorious gang abducted one Pastor Samuel Okpara from his house in Edoha, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State mid August, killed and beheaded him.
As if the act wasn’t bad enough, the slain pastor’s liver, intestines and other internal organs were used to make pepper soup and plantain porridge.
Is it easy to forget in a hurry the story of a housewife in Osun State who organized the killing of her husband for marrying another wife? She smuggled the killer into her matrimonial home for the heinous crime and gave her unsuspecting husband a parting sex before the cold-blooded murder.
Add that to the cult war which has become almost endemic here. Those the devil is using in the cult madness set aside unique dates 6/6/16, 7/7/17 for their killing spree. The next anniversary is 8/8/18.
Not long ago, two youths chased a member of a rival cult from Ilorin to Lagos.
He was caught and led to Carter Bridge linking Lagos Mainland to the Island. With the victim’s hands tied, the assailants pushed him into the lagoon to the shock and bewilderment of onlookers. The enraged passersby caught one of the two perpetrators, while the other escaped. You’re left wondering what’s the sense, what’s the gain in hunting fellow beings and wasting precious lives?
There are many more examples, but the import of this article is to examine what could be driving Nigerians unto these antisocial and wicked behaviours.
A causative factor is weak or lack of deterrence. When people commit crimes and they aren’t seen to have been punished, the devil would encourage many more to do more evil. How many people who have been sentenced to death for murder have had the punishment meted to them even after fighting to the Supreme Court and losing? Governors who should sign death warrants have declined to do so, while Amnesty International is fighting to abolish death penalty.
We have too many illegal firearms in circulation. Add to these, illicit drugs and uncontrolled sale of all manner of alcoholic drinks in affordable packaging, then you have complete chaos.
As long as these conditions are rife, unlawful killings and other criminal behaviours would persist.
Poverty, corruption and political ineptitude are also driving Nigerians nuts. Religious leaders have not shown that they are immune to the demonic bug.
How does one explain the rising cases of pastors and Alfas caught with human parts? Are those ones serving God or the devil?
But the devil must not be allowed to continue to lead Nigerians. Conscious efforts must be made to restore the fear of God, family values and selflessness in the citizenry.
The Change Begins With Me campaign of the current administration doesn’t appear to be having any serious impact.
There is urgent need to re-examine strategies to fight crime and other anti-social behaviours. Otherwise, the devil would win many more over and control their minds in manners that would continue to leave the country in tears and anguish.
Re: Electricity truly not rocket science
I don’t know when are we going to get it right in the power sector despite huge funds invested in it. Every now and then, we hear different stories of what causes power outage; why there’s no solution every year even when government makes budgetary provisions for it. We still struggle to get 6,000 mw of electricity. It seems cabals in that sector are behind this problem because of their selfish aims.
–Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia
Your experience with Nigeria’s electricity supply is that of millions of consumers from Sokoto to Bayelsa to Calabar. Our Ministers blow grammar and play the usual politics, finish. If the lid is opened on how billions went down the drain in that sector, hmmmm. Each time I pass Mbalano Electricity Sub-station, Isuikwuato, it’s over grown with weeds. I weep for this country. I bet there are such abandoned electricity projects in other cities and towns but who cares? Nigeria’s problems are in God’s hands, we will keep talking.
–Tony Anita, Isuikwuato, Abia State.
Abdulfatah, electricity has always been oscillating in Nigeria and supply falling in line with the pattern. Thank God, like many Nigerians, you have reservations on Fashola’s claim, which must have been premised on figures presented to him by engineers in his Ministry who would stop at nothing to protect their appointments. The slight upsurge in electricity supply which you rightly attributed to the lull in operations of Niger Delta militants and the weather condition is obviously more tenable than Fashola’s spurious claims of increase, if any, in megawatts of electricity. How many times has Fashola been reported of sanctioning erring Discos on distribution of pre-paid metres without any remarkable compliance despite media reports that Federal Government had supplied about three million for instant distribution? Who is to blame for Discos’ failure to comply with ministerial instruction than the concerned Minister? Imagine your situation of not getting pre-paid meter after over fifteen months of paying required sum directly into the account of relevant IBEDC.
What does one make of that than open door looting? And yet Nigeria is waging a selective “anti-corruption-war” for reasons of ethnic, political and religious affiliations. Taking a serious look at those who took over PHCN under the privatization exercise, it appears there was an untouchable cabal in the process. In fact, government ought to have ensured that pre-paid metres were fully installed across the country before eventual transfer of control to private operators. Where I reside, we record monthly electricity consumption and pay what is due to Disco regardless of their senseless charges.
–Lai Ashadele
Abdulfatah, the issue of electricity supply in Nigeria has now become the proverbial necklace of stone prettily hanging on the neck of every citizen in the country except for those in government. For me, it’s likened to a popular adage where I come from which says if a housewife erroneously drops and breaks her pot filled with agidi and local beans, she will be confused as to how many of it she will be able to pick. The average electricity consumer in Nigeria has had so many ugly experiences with electricity distribution companies in recent times that they are no more able to enumerate. But in all, my greatest pains are the seeming inability of the government to control them.
The attitude of officials of these companies when they come around for the monthly disconnection exercise; the crazy bills and worst of all, their refusal to supply meters is depressing. Due to the crude and fraudulent manner in which they operate by refusing to provide meters, most households need able- bodied family members to stay at home and explain most times, fruitlessly, why such families are not able to pay the current charges as they put it. Otherwise, they would be disconnected at the end of the day.
One’s anger boils when one sees neighbors and friends who have by whatever means been able to obtain the elusive meters after spending between N3000 to N5000 on electricity hitherto being forced to cough out an average of N18, 000 monthly for the same purpose. For the average consumer, the greatest blight the government suffers as far as electricity supply is concerned is failure to compel the distribution companies to supply meters. As much as I know, all the directives given to them by the government concerning metering and estimated bills have been routinely flouted with no consequences.
If power generation increases to 100,000 megawatts and consumers continue to be ripped off by these shylock distribution companies, government would have ended up achieving nothing. They should be made to realize that their investment is a long term one which they should not expect to recoup in a short while.
The government should pay equal attention to the plight of suffering consumers as it faces challenges of generation and transmission. On this score, celebration of just over 6000 megawatts comes to nothing. Thanks.
–Emma Okoukwu