PAGE 12—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2022Ndigbo, Obi and PhdsyndromeGOD save me from my“ friends [and relativesand ethnic group], I can takecare of my enemies.”After spending years on thispage promoting IgboPresidency – especially for2023 – I almost lost hope whenthe All Progressives Congress,APC, and the PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP, selectedtheir presidential candidateswithout an Igbo personemerging as candidate. It washeart-breaking for me;because at 78+, it is doubtfulif I will live for another fouryears to launch anothercampaign. Then, suddenly,Peter Obi, who withdrew fromthe PDP contest, went andbrazenly captured the LabourParty, LP, nomination. To behonest, it was, and is still, afunny political relationship.Obi is a confirmed capitalist;he likes to call himself a trader.The LP was supposed torepresent workers. I thought itwas a joke which would soonfizzle out. I was not the onlyone; and we were wrong forone reason.ANGER AND AN IDEAWHOSE TIME HAS COME“An invasion of armies canbe resisted; but, not an ideawhose time has come” - VictorHugo, 102-1885.“Anger supplies the arms” -Virgil, 70-19BC.Those of us who wrote Obioff in the beginning have beenproved wrong for two reasons:The power of an idea comingat the right time and pent-upanger against the politicalestablishment of ‘APDP’. Takea look at the members of theAPC and PDP today and youwill find that they were on theother side at one time oranother. “Politics withoutprinciples” (Ghandhi), whichhas brought us to ruin, is nowthe norm and not the exceptionObviously, Soludohas damaged Obi;but, he has damagedhimself even moresince 1999. The youth, womenand Ndigbo had been shut outof Aso Rock. Experience hastaught us that we cannot trusta candidate or party to fulfilltheir promises. The first thingthey do, after winning election,is to appoint eminent anderudite media persons asSenior Special Advisers,Ministers, Commissioners forInformation – who spend theirentire tenure white-washingevery atrocity. Nigeriansseriously want a change.So, to some extent, Obi is notthe cause of the popularuprising; he is the beneficiary.He is the anti-establishmentcandidate; and that partlyexplains why most ‘Obi-dients’overlook all the character andcompetence faults to whichthose opposed to him are nowpointing. Since it is not the aimof this article to discuss Obi’squalifications, I will probablynot dwell on them.My reason for writing thisarticle is actually morepersonal than most of thearticles ever written on thispage.I am angry and bewilderedthat after all the years ofstruggle to get a fairly credible(not perfect, but who is?) Igbocandidate, Ndigbo have turnedaround to stab their ownbrother in the back. In theprocess they have left peoplelike me, non-Igbo, who havecanvassed for this idea, toappear foolish.MEET MY SAGE OFSAPELE“You are never too old tolearn.” Like a few peopleseeking wisdom, I knew veryearly in life that learning is alife-long process. One of thewisest persons I know is myUncle A--; who lives in Sapele.We talk all the time; and he isthe first person to have loanedme over twelve wonderfulbooks; because he knows thatreading is my passion.The last three were over 500pages long. I read them. I amnow tacking one 662 pages.Apart from lending me books,Uncle A—talks sense into mythick skull. He never gets angrywhen out of idiocy of relativeyouth I obstinately refuse toaccept his advice.For as long as I canremember, Uncle has beenasking me to drop thepromotion of Igbo President.For him, it makes absolutelyno sense for a Yoruba personto be canvassing for IgboPresident after what Azikiwecolluded with northerners todo to Awolowo by sending himto jail on trumped-up charge.I always replied by saying thatNigeria cannot progresswithout large doses offorgiveness all around. And,the place to start is to bringabout closure to the Civil Warby electing an Igbo President.Uncle was never convinced;and I would not bulge.Uncle, however, alwaysmade another point during ourdiscussions. He was convincedthat when an Igbo candidateemerges, his own Igbo peoplewill rise against him. Onceagain, I seriously disagreed. Ihonestly believed that once afairly credible Igbo candidateemerges, he would receivealmost 100 per cent supportfrom Ndigbo. Today, I feel it isnot only Obi who should feelbetrayed by his kinsmen, I alsofeel betrayed. Am I now tobelieve that my confidence inthe people was misplaced?True, I was always amusedwhenever any election forgovernor in the South-Eastbrought out 100 candidatesand the campaigns of calumnythat ensued.But, I also always thoughtthat the presidential electionwould be regarded assomething special; that theleaders of Igboland would riseup and provide exceptionalleadership; in order to save thepolitical class from theirusually destructive tendencies.That has not happened.Instead, the worst attacks onObi have come from South-East governors and politicians.My Uncle must be laughingnow. I have avoided talking tohim because the first statementfrom him will be “I told youso.” He was right and I waswrong.ET TU SOLUDO?“Some misfortune to portend,no enemy can match a[kinsman]” - Jonathan Swift,1667-1745.Despite the politicalopportunism involved in a diehardcapitalist representingLabour, it was, to me, the onlygame in town – so to speak. Iwas certain all Igbo leaderswould line up behind him.Soludo being the latest andunsoiled governor in the South-East, as well as the best known,who has a wide network of non-Igbo Nigerians to call upon,was the one to lead the crusade.To be quite candid, I expectedhim to partly set aside the taskof governing Anambra Stateand undertake the fight to getObi elected.I was not particularlyworried when GovernorUmahi of Ebonyi firstannounced that he would notwork for Obi. Ebonyi is therump of the SE; Anambra isthe head.Even when the first signs ofSoludo’s opposition to Obiappeared, I wrongly expectedthat he would limit himself tojust ignoring the campaign,issuing “No comment”statements whenever pressedfor his views. That way, if Obifails in his bid, Soludo wouldnot be held responsible.INTELLIGENT NOTWISE“He who sets out on revengemust first dig two graves” -Chinese proverb, VANGUARDBOOK OF QUOTATIONS,VBQ, p 215Soludo’s utterances havereminded me of thatdescription of the HarvardUniversity professors whoadvised two AmericanPresidents to go to war inVietnam – a war the US lost.David Halberstam in hisbook, The Brightest and TheBest, had shown the worldhow very intelligent youngmen lacking wisdom cancreate political disasters.High intelligence and hubrisare quite often Siamese twins.Intelligent people sometimesthink they know everythingand others must accept theirideas.But, intelligence is notwisdom. After reading partone of Soludo’s demolition ofObi’s reputation – which isvital to success in thepresidential race – I could nothelp having the feeling thatrevenge, clothed with finepatriotic language, was themotive.The lack of wisdom in theaction taken can be seen fromthe repercussions. SonalaOlumhense, in the PUNCHof November 20, 2022, hastaken Soludo himself to thecleaners – virtually allegingthat the former Governor ofthe Central Bank, CBN,committed heinous crimeswhile in office. One of ourregular readers sent me amessage asking me to sendmy articles on the failure ofBanking Con-Soludo-tion, asI called the fiasco unleashedon the banking sector underSoludo. He wants to publishit as an advertorial to provethat Soludo is a fake reformer– who does not deserve to begovernor. Our own ObiNwakanma took his turn atSoludo bashing on the sameSunday; so did others.Obviously, Soludo hasdamaged Obi; but, he hasdamaged himself even more.Obi is not yet President. So,he has very little to lose.Soludo is governor; and hewill be seeking re-election.From my experience, he willspend the next three and a halfyears defending hisadministration fromattackers – in and out ofAnambra State. Irrespectiveof what happens to Obi,Soludo has made a lot of lifelongpolitical enemies. Theywill never let him forget thisblunder.NIGERIA NOW ANALMAJIRI NATION133 million Nigerians poor– NBS (VANGUARD,NOVEMBER 18, 2022)The United Nationsdeclared last week that globalpopulation had reached 8billion; Nigeria’s populationnow estimated to be 216million. That means 63 percent of Nigerians are nowpoor. That was not thesituation Buhari met in 2015.And, where are the poorpeople located? Kano10.51m, Kaduna 8.04m,Katsina 6.92m, Sokoto5.81m, Jigawa 5.75m, Bauchi5.75m top the list. Again thatmeans that 42.75 million oralmost 33 per cent of poorpeople live in those sixnorthern states. Theirnumbers have increasedsignificantly since Buharitook over in 2015. We are nowa certified Almajiri Republic.Yet, Baba thinks he is leavingNigeria better than he foundit. Thank God, eight wastedyears will end in 2023.Your sacrifice couldprovoke a miracleBrethren, today is the lastSunday in November. Wehave four more Sundays to cometo the end of this year. By thegrace of God, you and I and ourloved ones would say bye-bye tothis year in Jesus name.It’s time to assess your prayerlife. You need to ask yourselfquestions. I mean ask yourself,why haven’t I had my prayersanswered. If you had yoursanswered, then you have causeto celebrate but at the same time,you still need to remain prayerful.Ask yourself, how muchsacrifices have you made thisyear? Have you denied yourselfanything in order to get a miracle?I can imagine someone askingwhy is this necessary?There is a popular saying that“nothing goes for anything”. Itcould mean, if you put in nothing,you will get nothing.For example if a farmer doesnot plant yam seeds, he cannotharvest yams.The best example of giving andgetting something is found inJohn 3 vs. 16 &17 ( KJV) “ ForGod so loved the world, that hegave his only begotten Son, thatwhosoever believeth in himshould not perish but haveeverlasting life.For God sent not his Son intothe world to condemn the world;but that the world through highmight be saved”.God gave his only begottenSon for us to be saved.Before this monthends, as you makeup your mind tosacrifice you timeand give to the Lord,your miracle is amatter of timeAnother example of someonewho gave and got beyond hisrequest is King Solomon.Our authority is found in 2ndChronicles 1 vs. 6&7 ( KVJ): “And Solomon went up thither tothe brasen altar before the LORD,which was at the tabernacle ofthe congregation, and offered athousand burnt offerings upon it.In that night did God appearunto Solomon, and said, untohim, Ask what I shall give thee”.We are looking at sacrifice asit affects our expectation.One may not be in a positionsacrifice unto the LORD asSolomon did, but you cansacrifice your time to meditateon the word of God.You can sacrifice some time inbetween your sleep to presentyour prayer request to the LORD.For others, they may chooseto work in the vineyard of theLORD either as cleaners,choristers, ushers etc.Make up your mind tosacrifice the time you spendengaging in idle talks for Biblereading.You could even decide todonate to the church that moneyyou have kept to buy the mostfashionable dresses.The story of King Davidpresents us a good example. Hispeople had plague that made lifeuncomfortable for them.Araunah offered King Davidsome animals as offering to theLord . 2nd Samuel 24 vs. 22-24:“ And Araunah said unto David,Let my lord the king take andoffer up what seemeth good untohim: behold, here be oxen forburnt sacrifice, and threshinginstruments and otherinstruments of the oxen for wood.All these things did Araunah ,as a king, give unto the king. AndAraunah, said unto the king, TheLORD thy God accept thee”.David’s comment in verse 24is our key point : “ And the kingsaid unto Araunah, Nay; but Iwill surely buy it of thee at a price:neither will I offer burnt offeringsunto the LORD my God of thatwhich doth cost me nothing, SoDavid bought the threshing floorand the oxen for fifty shekels ofsilver”.Let’s see the result of the sacrificein verse 25 of the same chapter : “And David built there an altarunto the LORD, and offered burntofferings and peace offerings. Sothe LORD was intreated for theland, and the plague was stayedfrom Israel”.The plague may also bedescribed as a reproach that theLord took away.It therefore implies that whenyou sacrifice your time for theLord, your reproach would betaken away.Your sacrifice may also bemonetary. Contribute substantialmoney to promote evangelism.Brethren as a truly born againChristian, something in your oldways must give way to your newlife.It could even be drinking.Perhaps you are known as aChristian that drinks alcohol tothe point that you lose control ofyourself. If indeed you needsomething from the Lord, you justmust change your ways.Devout the time you spendassociating with ungodly friendsto studying the Holy Bible orattending Christian Fellowshipmeetings .Hannah made a sacrifice thatis often over looked.In 1st Samuel chapter 1, tellsus of the Shiloh annual festivalwhere everyone ate and drank . Itwas customary for Elkanah toprovide for his wives, Hannahand Penninah items that theywould need to enjoy the festival.Verse 7 gives us more details:And as he did no year by year,when he went up to the house ofthe LORD, so she provoked her;therefore she wept, and did noteat”.Note “ and did not eat”. Inother words, while others wereeating and making merry, shedenied herself food. She fasted.When Eli accosted herthinking she was drunk,Hannah replied in verse 15 :”And Hannah answered andsaid, No, my lord, I am a womanof a sorrowful spirit: I have drunkneither wine nor strong drink,but have poured out my soulbefore the LORD”.This is the secondconfirmation of her fast. Shedidn’t join others to drink. Shedenied herself that pleasure.Hannah sacrificed her foodand drink. She gave both up tospeak to the LORD.Sisters and Brothers, have yougiven up any thing or habit thisyear as a personal sacrifice?If not, it isn’t too late.You just have to give upsomething.Luke6 vs.38 (NJKV) states: “Give, and it will be given to you:good measure, pressed down,shaken together, and runningover will be put into your bosom.For with the same measure thatyou use, it will be measured backto you”.Brethren, God that gaveSolomon and Hannah morethan they asked for is still thesame with us today.I once wrote on this page, thetestimony of a couple that gaveas sacrificial offering, theamount due for the mortgage oftheir home in London. They hadbeen married for years withoutchildren.For their reward, God gavethem a set of triplets and theydidn’t lose the house in London.When you give, don’t botheryourself with what the church orPastor does with it.Your gift is to the Lord and notto a Pastor.Giving to your Pastor alsocomes with some blessings.God appreciates and rewardssacrificial giving.If you haven’t done one thisyear, its not too late . You can stilldo a lot.Such sacrificial offerings arenot just to attract a miracle butalso a confirmation of your lovefor God.Your dedication to godly dutiesis a form of sacrifice.As the year winds down, thinkof a sacrificial contribution thatyou can make to promote theword of God.2nd Corinthians 9 v 6&7 tellsus : “ But this I say, He whichsoweth sparingly shall reap alsosparingly; and he which sowethbountifully shall reap alsobountifully.Every man according as hepurposeth in his heart, so let himgive; not grudgingly, or ofnecessity: for God loveth acheerful giver”.Sacrificial gift must be givencheerfully.Those who give cheerfully theBible tells us experiences the loveof God.Even before this month ends,as you make up your mind tosacrifice you time and give to theLord, your miracle is a matter oftime.Your mockers will rejoice withyou soon in Jesus name.Enjoy the Peace of the Lord .
SUNDAY VANGUARD,NOVEMBER 27, 2022, PAGE 13
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