THE SHAMBLES ARE NOT IN VAIN COMRADES


Do Not Bother To Read This Long Article If You Will Not Read To The End.


I was live at the event when the oppressed farmers of XYZ community demanded justice from their rulers and were filed out in their numbers.


It happened that they got tired of the happenings of consistent extortions, murder and thefts; and had sent local leaders as representatives to demand justice from their higher governmental leaders, all to no avail.


But on this fateful day, they were pushed to the wall; they left their families, farmlands and sales behind and filed out in two rows and more than 20 columns, blocking a major way, situated at the outskirt of the community, at the bottom of a large mountain, from morning till evening; no one addressed them but they were unmoved!


Martin Luther King Jr., in his truest opinion, said, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”


Interestingly, I looked back and heaved a sigh of relief on sighting some armed uniformed men who appeared and marched down from the top of the mountain, with the thoughts that they must have escorted a leader, I supposed was coming behind, who would address them, and the poor men would finally return to their families.


Alas! The armed men went on their right knees in a sequence, all at the same time, and fired the men of the community. Sooner had the men fallen from the bullets than I heard an uproar from within the community in split seconds, and a sorrowful wail above the noise.


It was as though they had ground pain, sorrow and water together and forced the solution down my throat, as my head ached with agony and there again, another sound came from just behind my head. I turned to figure out where the third sound came from and there it was. It was my phone snoozing, my alarm must’ve sounded some 10 minutes earlier and had to snooze because I didn’t dismiss it.


My heart beat was much faster at this point and I was all sweating; the horror I saw in my dream must’ve affected me physically, I thought to myself. This dream and a similar other made no sense to me until the 20th October, 2020, the black Tuesday in the history of Nigeria. The very day the Eagle fed on the eaglets because it could not handle the bitter truth! Every rational and normal person would be sad by these happenings, many lost their sleep and appetite; but we are not without hope!

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TO MY COUNTRY, NIGERIA


How you fell to 146 out of 180 in Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perception index is a question whose answer is deep-seated in our political corridors, but out of the ashes and ruins would come forth a bright new day!


The prophecy of Pa Elton in 1986 reverberates in my ears which states, “Nigeria and Nigerians will be known all over the world for corruption. Your name- Nigeria will stink of corruption, but after a while, a new phase will come-a phase of righteousness. People from the nations of the earth will hold a Nigerian and say, “We want to follow you to your nation to go and learn righteousness.”


You will rise again and your soul will love righteousness. You will fulfill destiny and the many prophecies over your life would never go unfulfilled!

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TO THE MASKED TYRANTS


I don’t even know what exactly to say to you, but I’m sure you cannot know peace henceforth! “There is no peace for the wicked”, says the Scriptures.

The Lord God, the just Judge of justice, righteousness and equity has judged the enemies of this nation and will mete out the recompense of reward beyond borders!


How negotiation with the ‘enemy’ was possible and a consensus with your well-meaning protesters could not be reached to clear up the brouhaha, is what I don’t understand.


You were quick to release fire on your unarmed and peacefully protesting citizens, when you have not been able to conquer the deadly terror group, Boko Haram sect, in 10 years!

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TO THE MENTALLY STRESSED


Take some time off the media and engage in positive activities to clear your head. Please stay off gory pictures and videos to preserve your mental health so you don’t slide into depression.


It is only a mentally sane man that'll win the fight for freedom and enjoy the bliss of a new Nigeria.

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TO THE CHURCH


This is not a time to grow weary; we are closer than we were before. These people would rise from among you and be pushed out in their numbers; The Esthers, Gideons, Deborahs, Daniels, Moses, Joshuas, Samuels, Davids, the Jehus, Elishas, Micaiahs, everyman in his own path as Kings, Watchmen, Queens, King-Makers, and Leaders without breaking their ranks.


You can't stop them and they can't stop themselves either! Even when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. The earth shall quake before them and even the heavens shall tremble!

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TO ALL NIGERIANS


I have many things to say, but my charge at this time is for us to stop the killings, stop the vandalizations and let us stop waging war against ourselves please.


There is no progress in view when we take a step forward and 20 steps backwards. Stop the political hooliganism and intertribal strife, we are one!

Be it known to you that the birth of a baby and newness is not without sweats, strain and blood; but the labours of our fallen and living heroes shall never be in vain and would never be forgotten in Nigeria’s history and Africa’s at large!


A time will come, and it will in our days, that Nigerians, across all nations of the world, will no longer sing the old African-American song, “we shall overcome someday”, but will a new song of victory, “WE HAVE OVERCOME!”


May the peace of the Lord be unto Nigeria and may her citizens find rest roundabout and prosper! Amen.


©Aanuoluwapo Clement


√Setting the Pace√