Today, I am doing something that I hardly do. Something, which, by popular demand, will henceforth become a regular feature in this space. It’s feedback from you, my dear reader. With thanks, here’s reaction to our last serving.
Facebook…Solomon Aromada:
Has prayer stopped Nigerians from working? Nigerians work, work, and work. Is it too much prayer that is stopping them from fixing our power and roads, and hospitals and education? Fashola should not distract people, please.
He should go and work out his mandate. I believe in prayer. I even pray for more grace to work more to achieve more. If they fix the country, some pastors will find jobs to do.
WhatsApp…Barr. Idongesit Udofia, Plot 2215 Nile street, Maitama, Abuja:
Alas, since there are two sides to every coin, would Nigeria have fared better if Nigerians relied wholly on Satan? Or, if we worked harder and sincerer, that is, matching our reliance on God with action, commitment and love? If yes, does that mean that faith in or God has no role in human success? Is yes not too satanic an answer to contemplate in the circumstance?
I find your above questions too difficult to answer. Thanks for maintaining a balanced view on the issues. Alhough I find the outbursts of the Honourable Minister and learned silk rather unfortunate, considering he didn’t do well in the last four years (perhaps due to over reliance on his own strength), I feel – as you also agreed – that he is not totally wrong to have cautioned against extreme and lazy reliance on God. Man would be far better if he struck a balance between faith and work, as the Bible advises.
While I do not advocate man relying absolutely on his frail strength, I believe God who created man in his image and who gave him certain strengths, abilities and responsibilities expects a certain level of human performance. God being the most powerful being in the universe, do you think he cannot rule the world, without human rulers, if he so desired? Do you feel he had no power to singlehanded build the temple in King Solomon’s time, that is, without any human effort? Do you think he really needed the human soldiers in Israel’s camp to fight their battles for them?
The answer of course is, no. So, why does he place men as rulers in the affairs of other men? Why did he empower men with skills to build the temple in Jerusalem, when he could have done everything himself? Why did he involve soldiers of Israel in battles, when he could have destroyed their enemies alone?
The answer, I feel, lies in the fact that God reposes some confidence in man, considering the abilities he has endowed us with. Remember, we are the only species created in his image. He expects us to use our abilities and limited strength to solve most of our problems. For instance, he will not miraculously fix the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road nor the Calabar-Itu Expressway, if the Federal Government he put in their respective positions fail to use their authority to order construction!
He will not strike a politician’s hand for taking bribe. Nor will he restrain a public officer from embezzlement, because he has given man free will and expects us to use it wisely and in the interest of others. That is why he created in us a conscience, which helps us to decipher between good and evil. But if some have decided to deaden their conscience, should we blame God?
What we see in this country is a situation where a father will pray for God to change Nigeria, but will bribe for his unqualified son to get a job. Thereafter, both will go to church to thank God for the job. I feel Nigerians should stop praying for structural and economic change and rather begin to pray and work for attitudinal change. Nigeria can work if we work!
Enough of lazy reliance on God. Let’s pray and work to make Nigeria work. Perhaps, we should agitate aggressively now for the removal of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria as Works Minister. How do we expect progress when we put the right person in the wrong place and vice versa?
If we will not allow a lawyer to operate on us in a theatre, why allow him supervise our site as an engineer? I am a lawyer, and I know I can do very little in other technical areas such as construction. As governor, Fashola had a Commissioner for Works, who I believe was skilled in that regard. Why should a senior member of the inner bar be put in charge of a ministry that has to do with infrastructure?
Email … Sebastian Ekpenyong, [email protected]:
‘If men can see God’s hand in everything, why can’t they leave everything in God’s hand?’ – Unknown
Hon. Minister Babatunde Fashola may have performed excellently as governor. From the accolades he received, he may have begun to think he did it all by himself, through hard work. Little wonder that most Nigerian roads have collapsed under his watch. No wonder darkness enveloped the entire country in the four years he held sway.
Now, whatever mystery or magic he may have had surrounding his personality, his underperformance at his new office has completely stripped him of of it all. Reason may not be unconnected with the fact that he now relies on his strength than on his God or god. Truly, according to the scriptures (which I strongly believe in), by strength can no man prevail. If the Hon. Minister wants to prevail again, he should lay less emphasis on his strength and knowledge, and look more to his God/god.
Next Monday…
2023: Shall these people ever learn?