The Law of Cycles is not my intent for this little piece nor is it the h. But yes, the nature of events should be a lesson at especially times like this.
A story to begin with, that shows nothing is new under the sun, it’s just a reoccurrence of what had happened before. I did not say COVID-19, before the Pros and Cons stop me from reaching the Turf.
Long time ago, an enemy King laid a siege on a far away land, which was and still is a strategy of war, ‘cut off their supplies’. The King must have studied the lands demand and supply; their local production and dependence on imports. For a land whose internal consumption is high and above the production, imports to meet local demand is a most. With the main import route cut off (Embargo on Imports or whatever the term was then), the next events need not a prophet to tell.
The prices of commodity sky rocketed for those who can afford, the Government reserves were exhausted to the limit for just the President/King and his Cabinet. People started buying the dung (feaces/shit/excrement) of Doves/Pigeons for food (you will say hmm, even honey is that of the Bee). Their pets became food, till the animals of labour, the Donkey, had the head selling for over eight pieces of silver (remember, Jesus was betrayed for 30pieces). It was that bad.
It did not stop there, you see, when issues come to the shore, it gets to ‘everyone for his/herself and God for us all. Don’t ask me about fathers, husbands, because they were of less consequence in this story. Women, started eating their children on after the other, today they eat this woman’s, tomorrow the next brings her own. I have been wondering where the Husbands and fathers of the children being killed are and if the father’s were consulted before, then remembering the case of the two women that King Solomon declared a judgment on a living and dead infant, became a recurring event to confirm the men were not of essence. In the case of Solomon, two nursing mothers slept in the same room, one slept on her child and it died, she quietly exchanged it for the living child of her roommate. In the morning argument ensured on whose is the living and whose is the dead. King Solomon in his wisdom, decided to declare that the living child be divided into two and shared amongst the women. The Mother of the Child cried and pleaded for the child to be spared and given to the other lady, the second lady was on the contrary ok with the Kings decision that the child be cut into two and shared amongst them. On seeing that, the King judged that the one that volunteered to have the child handed to the other was the true mother of the child. Wise Judgment everyone said, where were the fathers of this children. I salute women, seriously.
Here in this story we had two women who went into a pact to eat one woman’s child today and the other woman’s the next day. On the said second day the second woman went and hid her child and there the trouble started. They must be influential women, since they had access to the President/King. On hearing their case the President/king tore his royal garment in show of the pains in the sufferings of his citizenry and his inability to resolve the issues at stake. For their enemies without, they were calculating their successes and waiting for the right time to strike and annihilate the kingdom, now that they have started eating their selves.
It took a Divine Intervention, that even the Best Economic Advisers of the Land did not believe it was possible. At this time no talk of the Military, Security Agencies, Police or Religious/Temple Leaders. The President was lost of any way forward, it happens; he confessed his state by fasting in sack cloth as was the usual humbling prayer and fasting mood of those days. Peers reviews did not help; external support for help was oblivious; as every other nation was afraid of being meted the same treatment.
In Africa, where every nation is battling with its issues, wisdom is not in showing might, but in introspectively looking for resolves. It is no time for saving another nation when yours is sinking, imagine, Ghana fining every/any business foreign (actually) Nigerian Business owner US$1Million for permit to trade. That is a whole N450Million and the monies to start over 100 cottage industries in Nigeria. Ghana wants Nigeria to sign the Free Trade act? Where is the brotherliness? They are smart; they need their local indigenous industries to survive. Nigeria is crying of no enough power and so many outages, while selling uninterrupted power to neighboring countries including Ghana. Rethink. Ghana will close its borders to any food outflow and wait for greedy Nigerians to import and then smuggle same out to sell in neighbouring countries including Ghana. Nigeria needs to look into saving itself from the internal rubbles before reaching out to the Chad, Niger, and Cameroon et. al. Presently Nigeria is still suffering food/resource leakages across borders. When eyes are on Seme and Owode, the other Western, Northern and Eastern Borders are off the radar. The border communities not helping in most cases. Nigeria needs also copy from its neighbours, how are they treating Nigerians? How are they resolving issues of Herdsmen/Farmers/Kidnap et? al.? It is not wrong to repeat tested result oriented methods in Nigeria. Nigeria seems to be a collection spot for failed issues, else why will cross border persons come in and keep causing havoc and the concerned agencies seem to be on a watch and see stance. The need to save the Nation from enemies within and without is what they swore to and the prime objective they have.
Enough of the sidestep, back to the story of National siege. When Divinity steps in some peculiarities might include:-
- The unexpected being used, here only four(4) lepers, were used as instrument of deliverance. They opined in their hearts to face the challenge (enemy) head-on, if the enemy killed them, they are already almost dead, if they pity them and give them food, at least they will have another day / issue to contend with. God went before them and scattered the enemies and the siege. The Lepers went in ate, collected booty and then remembered their nation needed help.
- The Duration is instant and like a dream to so many. Even the King and his Cabinet did not believe the news of solution.
- When people are pushed to the wall, the military, security, Police, Government become useless. Everybody rushes to the solution they perceive irrespective of the laid down protocols. Laws and order are for people and not people for the law. They will drop any and everything and face visible solution no matter how raw.
- In this case even the Chief Finance and Commerce Minister was trampled to death by the mob (as Prophesied), irrespective of his Body Guards and Security as people rushed to the solution spot.
- They got their solution as food became a free for all issues and even the women with one dead child have forgotten the need to kill the other. Men, Women, Children all on their best to save their heads and then gather the surplus for their respective homes.
As the world is battling a pandemic that has sieged every nation to its knees. Africa is worst hit as its still counting numbers, when the developed nations are ahead fighting for whose vaccines and how much to make it affordable and available globally the consumer nations that Africa leads in number. Worst is the fact that it will be funded through the further mortgaging of the future of unborn Africans’ resources.
What is my take? It is time for Africa to wake up the trivialities of kidnappings, farms and herders clashes, extermination of sleeping defenseless masses, the attempt to hijack places of worship and the reading of the Global COVID-19 script, it’s time for synergies of energies towards African solutions. Let the Clerics go into a continentally Ordained Prayers and Fasting, seek for Divine way out of this malaise. I hear someone say that was what Abacha did, that led to him and Abiola being checked out/called up. Hmmm? I no fit comment for that one. What a thought.
- Ghana demanding US$1Million for business registrations is not it at all.
- The Xenophobic / Afro Phobia by some nations against their fellow Africans in favour of Indians and Lebanese is not it too.
- CAMA in Nigeria, is a cauldron, let the Nigerian Government remove the log of corruption from its eyes (NDDC, NNPC, NEDC, EFCC and the Pension Funds, amongst others), before looking into religious bodies that have been to a large extent above board in relations to the secular sphere.
- The Pseudo Peace Deals were a side is disarmed and then another come to massacre the other is no peace trend. An uneasy peace is one that kills silently. Let’s for an all out, all bare e resolve.
- The regional fracas are worth an ear, and anybody should be at liberty to choose his abode and how. National/Regional Confabs across interest and nation states lines are issues we must face now or live with the pains of further disillusionment, because this European mix (cocktail) is not just working.
My prayer is to hear a Sheikh, Prophet, Apostle, Bishop or Priest come out, declare an end to this Pandemic /Siege, and proffer the Divine next step for the close of this cycle of pains. Long live the Peoples United Ubuntu Kingdoms. Where we live because you live.
Adamu Ayuba 