GLORY INVASION IN 9-MINUTES
ABSTRACT
If this piece is to pitch to WORSHIP—as it, in fact, does, then the subject of POLITICS—equally captured herein; could become subject to the QUERY of seemingly RATIONAL THINKING. I mean, how come about the involvement of a DIRTY GAME in a piece that is supposed to center on a HOLY GOD? It is common knowledge that politics and God do not relate—stereotypically speaking. Politics, as we’ve come to know, is infamously associated with a variety of VICES.
These vices range from fraud—to murder, to propaganda, lies, deceit, oppression, theft, voodoo, malevolence, and all manner of THREATENING EVILS that are in contrast to the perfectness and values of GOD MOST HOLY. But a swift examination of Isaiah 45:7 in the HOLY BOOK returns a result that shows that even these threatening evils are creations of the same GOD MOST HOLY. God, speaking in that scripture, sovereignly declares thus: “I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace and CREATE EVIL. I the LORD do all these things.”—(KJV).
It, therefore, becomes exceedingly clear that the HOLY GOD is proud to proclaim Himself the CREATOR OF EVIL. So, if politics is anything evil, know for a fact that it is not essentially alienated from God. He CREATED IT. However, that scripture does not only POINT TO EVIL as a creation of God. There is also LIGHT—and PEACE, as much as there is DARKNESS. As moral agents that mankind was chiefly created to be, only light, peace, and all that reflects GOOD—were supposed to be man’s exclusive indulgences. But the devil came around, and the rest, as you know, is HISTORY. Howbeit, history doesn’t end with the coming of the DEVIL. There was also the coming of God—THE SON: [JESUS].
That first coming of God-the-Son was a shot at redeeming the world, ridding it of its WOES, and restoring the DIGNITY OF MANKIND. It was a successful move; – one that left mankind with a promise of ENDLESS LIFE—upon the next coming of that same God-the-Son: a life that revolves around worship, more worship, and much more worship of God most holy. However, that promise of endless life wasn’t without condition, as man would have to choose that life or go the OTHER WAY. The other way could be anyway. The bible calls it the BROADWAY—and strongly warns against it.
Even before the coming of God-the-Son, God-the-Father, speaking to his people in Deuteronomy 30:19, had declared thus: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” Those who chose life/blessing can be said to have embraced light, peace, and everything good. On the flip side, those who chose death/cursing can be said to have embraced EVERYTHING BAD—like EVIL, perhaps.
Therefore, if politics is evil, it is not about politics itself. It is about those in politics who have chosen DEATH/CURSING. After all, the world we live in—is infamously tagged as an "EVIL WORLD." But, does that in any way imply that every man walking the earth is evil? ABSOLUTELY NOT! So, if we are to view politics as a world, which it actually is: (the world of politics), it becomes pertinent that we view and judge the people of that world according to their LIVES’ CHOICES—which cuts across all endeavors, NOT JUST POLITICS. I don’t know if I’m making some sense here at all.
If we have men in politics who have chosen death/cursing, evil becomes the other of the day. But if we have men in politics who have chosen life/blessing, what then becomes the order of the day? I’ll leave you to answer that. Nonetheless, the bitter truth remains that politics cannot help being a mix of both species, as it is not RELIGION—in which case it would operate on doctrines that tailor the lifestyles of TRUSTERS to a one-way-fits-all BELIEF SYSTEM. And, even in religion, there are BAD EGGS—as a matter of fact. Very bad eggs that can safely be tagged “EVIL!”
But quite gratefully, there’s the CONSTITUTION to inform the DOINGS OF POLITICIANS. Sadly, in some countries, the constitution is NULL and VOID: absolutely useless, powerless, and ineffective, a TOTAL NONSENSE—only serving as an instrument to indict the poor and helpless. That seemed to be the case with Nigeria before MR. PRESIDENT took a shot at the presidency in 2023. Though he conceded to MR. VICE PRESIDENT due to his poor leadership know-how, he had somehow afforded the Nigerian people THEIR VOICE—which had been on TOTAL LOCKDOWN FOREVER!
It was that voice that sent him packing when his leadership incompetence became obvious enough for all eyes to see. It was that voice that RESTRUCTURED THE GOVERNMENT and got its officials living by the books: [constitution]. It was that voice that roared the bad old days into oblivion and birthed a NEW ERA; one that is now strictly governed by rules and regulations, one that elects government officials on merits, dethrones officials who become complacent after years of ELECTORAL SUCCESS—and replaces them with others who are more dependable to PLAY THE ROLE.
It was that voice that roared Mr. President out of the 2023 presidential campaign, sending him to his drawing-board and giving way to Mr. Vice President to take a shot at REBOOTING NIGERIA—which was the ULTIMATE MISSION back then. I make bold to say that Nigeria has been fine ever since. The virtuous Mr. Vice President, having been duly equipped with leadership know-how, and having been old enough to run (unlike Mr. President), did his best to reboot Nigeria and keep the peace for this long: all thanks to the Nigerian people who made sure to enforce A NEW ORDER.
But then, no one stays in office forever—no matter how good a leader they might be. Left for Nigerians, Mr. Vice President would continue to serve as president even now that his tenor has ELAPSED. Such a good leader he’s been! But constitutionally, he has to leave for someone else to take over, and many GALLANT ASPIRANTS have risen to the occasion. Nigerians now know better than to vote any Tom, Dick, and Harry into office. They need someone like Mr. Vice President to take over and continue the good work. Thankfully, Mr. President—who can be said to have PIONEERED this new era of bliss—has returned to take another shot at the presidency—AS PROMISED IN 2023.
For the Nigerian people, his return is an overly welcome development. They haven’t forgotten his promise back then—to make silver and gold become like mere rocks and stones, to alienate poverty and make prosperity to become a COMMON NORMAL. Achieving those promises will be easy—now that things have CHANGED FOR GOOD to a large extent; hence the people’s endorsement of him with the SPEED OF LIGHT. But you see, there are people in government who pretty-much consider themselves MORE DIGNIFIED and WORTHY of the HOT SEAT than the LITTLE BOY OF A PRESIDENT—who according to them, “just got OLD ENOUGH TO RUN.” Or, “is it that show he put up in 2023 that’s making the people sentimentally “GO GAGA” over him???”
Such, and the likes, are questions thrown at each other by these undoubtedly experienced GALLANT ASPIRANTS. They have been in government from time immemorial. They know its INs and OUTs. They were there during the bad old days of looting and oppression. They managed to stay-on after the great revolution that saw the youngest of their species (Mr. Vice President) becoming president. One would expect them to now be talking retirement/mentorship of younger generations of leaders. But quite ironically, they’re talking running for office, and the people fear another phase of RETROGRESSION.
As far as the Nigerian people are concerned, Mr. President represents the FUTURE. He carries with him the glory of the LATTER HOUSE, which—according to the holy book, is greater than that of the FORMER. But it’s going to take more than representing the future and carrying a latter glory to thrust into the scene and secure the seat of the commander-in-chief of the Nigerian armed forces. Since Nigeria has become less of a jungle, a PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE has been proposed, a means of determining who better fits the role between the two PROMINENT CANDIDATES: Mr. President and THE “OTHER” CANDIDATE……the flagbearer of “FORMER HOUSE PEOPLES PARTY.”
This is Mr. President’s ONLY CHANCE. He must PROVE HIMSELF and not rely on the MERCIES OF NIGERIANS to grant him access to the presidency. Nigeria now operates by the books: no sentiments, no EFCC “magu-magu,” NO NONSENSE! Therefore, if he fails to prove himself worthy of being president via the debate, he would have to again jump over the presidency and might never have the chance to take another shot at it. The gloomier part is that Mr. President has no PLAN-B. He doesn’t even have a PLAN-A. He didn’t see a debate coming. No one saw a debate coming. Perhaps, that is why it is the best way to determine who better fits the role: a very NICE CALL by Nigerians!
The stage gets set. Media outlets across the globe gear-up to televise the debate. Nigerians all over the world get ready to witness the showdown! Even a number of foreigners—sparsely littered across continents—surprisingly do not wish to miss out on what they’ve come to ridiculously tag: “THE BLACK MAN DRAMA.” In reality, however, there’s about to be a DRAMATIC HISTORY-MAKING POLITICAL TOWN HALL WRANGLE—all the way from the HEART OF AFRICA, from the once infamous jungle of a country called Nigeria—and no one wants to be TOLD ABOUT IT!
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INTRODUCTION
2023 marked a TURNING POINT in the Nigerian political system and in Nigeria as a whole. It was in that year that Mr. President emerged with a vision that appealed to every well-meaning Nigerian citizen. For details, you will have to read the first part of this essay—titled: “MR. PRESIDENT (UPROAR 2023).” It just so happened that he was too young to run at the time and was a little too poorly equipped to serve as president. That was why he conceded to his vice and went back to his drawing board, promising to return at a later time to take another shot at the presidency.
Now happens to be that time. Mr. President had envisioned that his return would be something of a TRIUMPHAL ENTRY—like that of Jesus RIDING ON A DONKEY’S BACK into Jerusalem. Ironically, the situation turns out to be like that of the Apostle Paul in Corinth—as recorded in 1st Corinthians 16:9 which says: “for a great and effectual door is opened unto me, and there are many ADVERSARIES.” Mr. President’s adversaries aren’t just many; they are CLEVER, EXPERIENCED, OPPRESSIVE, and CUNNING! They are POLITICAL JUGGERNAUTS of the highest ranks who he stands absolutely no chance against—except with Nigerians in the picture to ENSURE FAIRNESS ALL THE WAY—like in 2023.
These high-profile political figures happen to be the only obstacle in Mr. President’s way of achieving what he tags: “THE LONG-DEPRIVED NIGERIAN DREAM.” Let’s just say that Mr. Vice President has achieved that dream somewhat halfway. Mr. President is now consumed with a passion to crown it up—having paved the way for it in 2023. But these adversaries wouldn’t let him ROW HIS BOAT GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM. If he is to make any advancements towards achieving that dream, he has to emerge victorious in the proposed DEBATE, else………
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PRE-DEBATE
Gone are the days of POLITICAL GODFATHERISM when OUTGOING OFFICE HOLDERS would recommend—and even install GODSONS and DAUGHTERS to take over from them. If not, Mr. Vice President (the outgoing president) would have done everything within his power to install Mr. President (who conceded the seat to him in 2023 without a bit of chaos). An effort to pull such stunt will get Nigerians roaring again, and no one wants a repeat of 2023’s WILD WILD WEST! It now HINGES ON THE DEBATE to produce the next Nigerian to serve as COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.
Talking about the debate, word of it—has reached the ends of the earth. Not even the most sensational reality TV shows can divert attention from it. Different media outfits have put every mechanism in place to televise it squarely. Various social media platforms are all-set to live-stream it for users who aren’t disposed to televised broadcast. Basically, everything has been put in place to transmit the debate LIVE—to the world from a 1,000-capacity town hall (which will DOMINANTLY comprise of folks from the POLITICAL CLASS, the country's PATRICIANS, and the ARISTOCRACY).
The rest of the world is to only witness the showdown from television and social media—as is the case with REALITY TV SHOWS—especially EVICTION SHOWS. Well, this is going to be some sort of a POLITICAL EVICTION SHOW, and Mr. President fears that he might get evicted—due to the arrangement of the whole thing. In REALITY TV SHOWS, attendees are usually a mix of RANDOM MULTITUDES—fans of the different participants who would do well to CHEER THEIR FAVORITE CONTESTANTS into delivering GOOD PERFORMANCES onstage.
But here—is Mr. President, about to grace a gathering of a perceived 50% upper-class populations—spiced up with 20% of their LOYALISTS who would all cheer THEIR CANDIDATE to a POSSIBLE WIN—while “BOOING” Mr. President to a POSSIBLE LOSS. Such scenarios are common in football games. HOME TEAMS tend to have the HOME ADVANTAGE, accounting for the RARE LOSES at home matches. Meanwhile, it takes luck and professionalism—maybe extreme professionalism—for AWAY TEAMS to beat HOME TEAMS at away matches.
Mr. President is no professional—and he cannot afford to hope on luck to see him through—in the debate. This quickly gets him fearing that the arrangement of the debate ultimately renders him susceptible to the fate of an AWAY TEAM—being that 70% attendees will likely comprise of his opponent’s FRIENDS and LOYALISTS. The residual 30% will likely be are a mix of privileged young and old Nigerians who would actually stand for nothing but FAIRNESS.
But how far can the cheer of 30% go—against the booing of 70%? And, who says Mr. President is even likely to have the cheer of that 30%? It’s begun to seem to Mr. President like the debate isn’t going to be any more than it is gearing towards being: A BAD SHOW—one to be captured in history books as an INGLORIOUS DEFEAT! At least, if he’s going to lose, he’d rather lose on FAIRGROUNDS, under NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCE, not under what PARANOICALLY seems to him as a RIGGED CIRCUMSTANCE. So he suggests a little twist to the plot, hoping that it appeals to all.
Calling for a PRESS CONFERENCE two days to the debate, he suggests that the debate should be held in a bigger arena, a stadium perhaps—where willing Nigerians can get to grace the occasion in their numbers, not just tailoring it to favor the exclusive attendance of the BIG DOGS. He argues that “though the debate will be televised and streamed across to Nigerians far and wide, there are those who’ll welcome the option of being present at the scene—as is usually the case in FOOTBALL MATCHES.
Folks who purchase tickets to watch LIVE MATCHES at the stadium—can of course watch those matches on TV. But watching LIVE at the stadium affords them the chance to show support for their teams—support that could influence the outcome of the match. That aside, it’s another level of “cruise” to watch matches live at the stadium. Those are delights that many Nigerians will pretty-much welcome, especially being that the debate has to do with Nigeria and should welcome the participation of as many Nigerians as possible, not majorly aristocratic Nigerians and partisans.
Fast forward to two days down the line, the chosen stadium is filled with Nigerians from far and wide, some arrayed in assorted churchly adornments, some in casual attires, and some rocking rag jeans/fancy T-Shirts with images of their favorite celebrities—ranging from the late AFROBEAT LEGEND, Fela Kuti—to the raving AFRICAN GIANT, to the all-time INTERNATIONAL STARBOY, and the self-acclaimed OMO BABA OLOWO (OBO). T-Shirts with faces of OTHER FAMED CELEBRITIES fill the arena such that it begins to seem as though—those celebrities are present at the scene.
And the women too—GOSH! I need not describe the ILLUMINATING EFFECT of their feminized presence which is bound to water-down the tension that comes with a debate of such MAGNITUDE! Prominent and well-reputable Nigerians from all works of life—also honor the occasion with their priceless presence. I’m talking about NO NONSENSE personalities who stand for nothing but TRUTH and JUSTICE. It’s a PROPER MIX of Nigerians in one place. If a fair decision on Nigerian matter is to be made by Nigerians, it definitely had to be made in a place like this. So, we can safely say that the aftermath of the debate will be nothing short of TRUE, JUST, and FAIR.
The BIG DOGS manage to share the arena with these “AVERAGE/LOWER CLASS POPULATIONS.” Prior to 2023, such a mix of elites and masses could only be welcomed during political campaigns—to allow for a RECKLESS SEDUCTION OF GULLIBLE MASSES. But things are no longer the same as before. Levels have changed. Everyone is now ten over ten (10/10). Reminds me of the chorus of Nigerian rapper, Naeto-C’s 2011 hit tune with the title—TEN OVER TEN (10/10). The chorus says:
“Things are not the same,”
“Things are not the same as before.”
“Levels don change now,”
“They no fit hold me again, now I am ten over ten.”
Mr. President particularly loves that song. It gives him the feeling that BIBLICAL JOSEPH (the dreamer) must have had—upon becoming the SECOND MOST POWERFUL MAN in Egypt—after thirteen long years of languishing in chains of slavery……no thanks to his BITCHY BRETHREN who subjected him to such horrible fate. Well, the God that BREAKS GATES OF BRASS AND CUTS BARS OF IRON IN SUNDER—had come to his rescue—because that God WAS WITH HIM! It is hoped that the same God is with Mr. President—as he steps onstage to treat his politically ingenious opponent to an OPEN-AIR WRANGLE……with a multitude of no-nonsense Nigerians as JUDGE.
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THE DEBATE—MR. PRESIDENT
Starting his argument on a powerful note, Mr. President declares: “It was the late President UMARU MUSA YAR'ADUA—who last increased the SALARIES OF NIGERIAN JUDGES 13 years ago. Judges in Nigeria were grossly underpaid during the military era because their services meant little or nothing to the military. Former President OLUSEGUN OBASANJO had first approved an upward review of the salaries of judges in 2002—three years after the military handed over power in 1999. But it was the late President UMARU MUSA YAR'ADUA who last approved an UPWARD REVIEW of the salaries and allowances of judges in Nigeria when he came into power in 2007.”
He did so—in order to drive home his RULE OF LAW POLICY. However, since 2007 to date, no kobo has been added to the salaries of judges, whereas, politicians keep allocating jumbo pay to themselves and their cronies. Nigerian judges are still grossly UNDERPAID—compared to their COUNTERPARTS ACROSS THE WORLD, and we expect them to KEEP THE RULE OF LAW?? Or to withhold their hands from taking bribe?? Or to refrain from CONVICTING INNOCENT SOULS while ACQUITTING THE GUILTY—just to walk home with STACKS OF CASH that should be theirs by default?”
“By my findings, judgments in Nigeria are reserved for the highest bidder—or the most connected. Trust me, in Nigeria today, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle—than for an ordinary Nigerian who has no money or connection—to get a fair hearing and favorable judgment. My fellow Nigerians, this ought not to be so!”
“It might interest you to know that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) takes home an annual salary of N3,353,972.50 (N279,497.71 monthly)—while other members of the Supreme Court, including the President of the Court of Appeal—go home with an annual salary of N2,477,110 (N206,425.83 monthly). Others, like The Justices of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court and President of the Industrial Court, the Grand Khadi of State and FCT Sharia Court of Appeal, President FCT and State Customary Court of Appeal, all earn the sum of N1,995,430.18 each annually, (N166,290.01 monthly).
“Also, judges of the Federal, State, and FCT High Courts, National Industrial Court, Khadi Sharia Court of Appeal in the FCT and State; and FCT and State Customary Courts—all earn the sum of N1,804,740 each annually (N150,395 monthly) Whereas, a single Senator of the federal republic of Nigeria takes home N156,000,000 annually (N13,000,000 monthly) according to Senator Shehu Sani. If you ask me, that is one of the heights of injustice and salary disparity in Nigeria! Why won’t there be bribery and corruption when the ones who should enforce the law of no bribery and corruption are being robbed with such reckless abandon? And when these things happen, who suffers the most? THE COMMON PEOPLE!”
“If we are to compare the earnings of Nigerian judges with that of their counterparts across the world, we might all breakdown in this arena and shed tears of deep sorrow for hours—except those responsible for the EVIL! It is because of the perpetrators of such wickedness—that politics is being tagged EVIL! For instance, in the United States of America (USA), while the Chief Justice earns $255,500 (N118, 807,500) per year, the eight associate justices earn a healthy pay raise to $244,400 (N113, 646,000).”
“The President of the Supreme Court, Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, Lord President of the Court of Session and Master of the Rolls, are on the salary scale of £214,165 (N128,070,670)—only earning lesser than the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales who earn £239,845 (N143,427,310). In South Africa, judges in the high and labor courts earn annual salaries of R1.4-million (N46.9million). Judge-presidents (heads of court) earn R1.6million (N53.6million) a year. Constitutional and Supreme Court judges earn R1.7-million (N56.9million). And the chief justice earns R2.3-million (N77million). The package of the president of the Supreme Court is just over R2million a year (53,460,027).”
“It will also interest you to know that Nigeria can only boast of a little above 1,060 judges nationwide, unlike other countries. In Nigeria, there are less than 260 federal judges—and less than 830 judges hired by the 36 states of the federation. And all judges get their salaries and allowances through the National Judicial Commission—MINUS WHAT THEY EARN FROM CORRUPTION OR “JUDGMENTS FOR SALE.” The only legitimate means through which Nigerian judges make extra money is through ELECTION PETITION TRIBUNAL. That is the reason we always witness a near collapse of our courts during election petition tribunals—because EVERY JUDGE WANTS TO PARTAKE!”
“Even in the police force, things are no different. Back in the days, the Nigerian police force would not take anyone to court for arraignment—if they didn't have substantiating evidence, and that’s because the trial judge or magistrate would rubbish them in his or her court, discharging and acquitting the suspect right there in court to go home. Therefore, only genuine cases of crime and criminality were brought before the courts for trials. Minor cases like fights without injuries, quarrels, minor thefts, and false allegations on minor offenses—were amicably settled by the police.”
“People were merely detained at police stations for a couple of hours or days—if found guilty by the investigating police officer (I.P.O) for minor offenses. And in less than 72 hours, such people would be released by the orders of the Divisional Police Officer (D.P.O) without paying a dime for bail. As at then, entering a police cell was like going to Nigerian prison (back in the days). It came with a lot of stigmas. If someone was eventually sent to prison for a crime, even the person’s family members and relatives would know that he committed the crime and is guilty as charged.”
“With that, Nigerian prison housed about 80% of people who committed genuine crimes with enough evidence—or people awaiting trial, having been denied bail—based on the convincing shreds of evidence presented before the trial judge by the police or the prosecutor. The justice system in Nigeria was good—and to an extent fair enough to all, irrespective of class or gender. In so doing, our prisons weren’t congested or overcrowded—because we had little numbers of awaiting trial cases—with a speedy trial of criminal cases.”
“But all these changed in the 1980s—1990s when the police started taking bribes to release suspects on bail. Bribes were taken for major and minor offenses. Corruption entered into the police force. It became a money generating venture. The corruption spread like wildfire. When police officers got transferred from one division to another, or from one command to another, they carried that corruption to their new bases. Cash for bail became a new business for the police force nationwide. That triggered internal corruption within the police force.”
“Officers had to bribe their superiors—to be posted to certain divisions or commands. Becoming a D.P.O or Commissioner of Police in a state became more of monetary—than of competency. For the fact that an officer could make a lot of money from such postings and promotions, they had to pay a lot of money to get the postings and promotions in the first place. The police stopped taking cases to court because of bail money. Even violent crimes like armed robbery, murder, arson, acid attack, car snatching, etc., were handled by the police—who would simply take bribes and grant the suspects bail, and that would be the end of it—except those suspects couldn't afford the bribe.”
“At some point, there was a public outcry—such as that of 2023. This was when victims of violent crimes could no longer get justice but could see their attackers walk free after just a few days in police custody. The likes of Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi led a protest/movement that mandated the police to take cases to court and let the courts decide which was minor or bailable—since the police had bastardized all the rights and privileges given to them to handle minor cases. Judges were known to handle cases with decency, making pronouncements and judgments even on the first day of the hearing. Minor cases were stroke off, people were discharged and acquitted on minor offenses. Judges tampered justice with mercy. They gave lighter sentences depending on the level of crime. But all that changed when police officers, through judicial workers, were able to compromise the courts.”
“They introduced corruption into our judicial system. Bribery and corruption became a norm in our courts and it spread like wide fire—from court to court, from state to state. Judges started taking bribes in collaboration with police and judicial workers for case handling. Sentencing became based on how much one could afford, rather than what the law says. With good enough bribe, a criminal could get instant bail from a trial judge, irrespective of his or her crime. People who could not bribe their way out from the courts—were sent to prison—to await trial. In no time, the prison facilities started experiencing an upsurge in inmates awaiting trials. The figures kept rising—while the police and the courts preyed on those who could bribe their way out. That was the genesis of prison congestion in Nigeria—a situation that renders inmates most susceptible to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.”
“Yet, when YOUNG MINDS emerge with the intention to reform the crooked system, those responsible for the system [in the first place] will castigate the young minds, digging holes in our reputation and tagging us INEXPERIENCED, IGNORANT, NAÏVE, even LAZY! Fellow Nigerians, please, I want to ask: WHAT IN THE BLACK MAN’S WORLD DOES GOOD LEADERSHIP HAVE TO DO WITH AGE??? The BAD LEADERSHIP that has plagued several BLACK NATIONS for DONKEY DECADES, can we also blame it on YOUNG LEADERS???”
“As a matter of fact, one of the best leadership in African history is that of THOMAS SANKARA, a one-time president of BURKINA FASO and AFRICA’S GREATEST PRESIDENT ever! In just four years of reign as president, he built 350 schools, roads, and railways without foreign aid. He increased literacy rate by 60%. He banned forced marriages. He gave poor people land. He vaccinated 2.5 million kids. He planted ten million trees. He drove out French imperialism and withdrew Burkina Faso from IMF. He raised the Burkina Faso literacy rate from 13% to 73%. He passionately championed WOMEN’S COURSE. He downgraded all the expensive government fleet of Mercedes Benz and made Renault 5 the official car for Ministers. That was REAL REVOLUTION—and perhaps the reason for his ASSASSINATION. The amazing part is that he lived in a small house and only had $350 at death.”
“Isn’t it sad that such a great leader who championed such a great revolution in such a short space of time—was murdered??? What’s worst is that he was murdered by his BEST FRIEND—A FELLOW AFRICAN from the same country. History has it that he was murdered via a coup d'état by his former ally and best friend—who must have been POWER HUNGRY—and had some disagreements with the late Thomas Sankara on foreign policies. It is purported that France supported the coup because Sankara challenged their colonial interests. However, the extent to which France was involved in the coup still remains partly classified information till date.”
“Blame the WESTERN WORLD all you want for the death of Thomas Sankara and many such African leaders—like Muhammad Gaddafi, the fact remains that we—Africans only have ourselves to blame for what we’ve done—and keep doing to ourselves. If Africa stands as one, the western world can't force things on us and we won’t have to keep playing the BLOODY BLAME GAME. We may find some sort of solace by basking in the hypothesis that the WESTERN WORLD won’t hesitate to assassinate any African president who attempts to liberate his country. But while basking in that thought, remember that Thomas Sankara may have still been alive if not for his BEST FRIEND—A FELLOW AFRICAN MAN—A COUNTRYMAN.”
“Thomas Sankara ran a corrupt-free country during his time. He was a selfless leader and a man of integrity—not an oppressive CON ARTIST or an ILLUSIONIST STAGE PERFORMER. The best part is that HE WAS YOUNG! Burkina Faso, then—was a YOUNG COUNTRY, founded by YOUNG MINDS, and still YOUNG AT HEART. And, the country was well-ran by the YOUNG PRESIDENT! Fellow Nigerians, Nigeria—today is nothing short of a YOUNG COUNTRY, was equally founded by young men in 1960, and is still very much YOUNG AT HEART. But times have changed. This is not the 1960s of MILITARY COUPS. Not 1999—upward of what has been tagged AUDIO DEMOCRACY. Not even 2023 of the GREAT REVOLUTION! This is a NEW ERA—and Nigeria needs a NEW GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP to cope with NEW PROBLEMS and NEW OPPORTUNITIES! My countrymen, am I communicating here at all???”
“Even John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States—who had won enough delegates to be chosen his party's candidate for the presidency—was tagged “TOO YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED FOR THE JOB.” But that didn’t stop him from pioneering a new era in the United States. Kennedy proposed freedom, the building of a new society, the recapturing of America's pioneer spirit, and many such affairs which happened to be what America needed direly at the time…no wonder the American people inclined to him and followed up with a corresponding action which saw the poll numbers soaring miraculously in his favor. That was how he became PRESIDENT.”
“But just like Africa’s best president (Thomas Sankara of BURKINA FASO), Kennedy was assassinated. Talking about Africa, it is believed that the seemingly inevitable incessant slaughter of African leaders who seek to liberate their country—is the reason why African leaders do not bother trying to fight good courses anymore. It is now about LOOTING WHILE IN POWER. My question in that regard is: how did darkness come to overcome light like this??? How did things get this bad??? Are BLACK NATIONS really irredeemable??? Shall we keep on living this way till THY KINGDOM COMES??? I know that when it gets to my opponent’s turn to STATE HIS COURSE, he’ll dispute over niggling points like—me only seeking to EARN MYSELF THE POSITION OF THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF at all cost.”
“Nigerians, please, help me ask him this question: who in his right frame of mind would opt to make himself a target of manslaughter for NO JUST CAUSE??? For goodness sake—I’ve got a fine wife and a baby on the way—my very first child! Just so my opponent knows, my wife isn’t in support of my RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. We’re less than two years in marriage and expecting our first child. She can’t imagine us—running a nation and building a family at the same time. If by grace I emerge—President, she will become Mrs. First Lady with a BABY BUMP! I’m talking about a PREGNANT FIRST LADY—the very first in worldwide history. Have you heard of a PREGNANT FIRST LADY before???”
“But my brothers and sisters, that is not a glory she craves. One can liken her to America’s RELUCTANT FIRST LADY, Michelle Obama—who made it very clear that IT WAS NEVER HER DREAM TO CALL THE WHITE HOUSE HER HOME. Having met Barack Obama in 1989 when they were both working at a Chicago law firm, they got married three years later. But their career choices soon diverged—with Mr. Obama putting law and academia behind him in the mid-90s—in order to run for office. Michelle was never that wild about Obama going into politics. Nevertheless, she was crucial in his success, firstly as an Illinois state senator (1997–2004), then as a US senator representing Illinois (2005–2008), and finally as the Democratic nominee for president in 2008.”
“Before Barack Obama became president, he had an important task to complete—getting his wife’s approval to run for the White House. In a revealing memoir published in 2018, Michelle made known that she never expected America to ELECT A BLACK MAN AS PRESIDENT. Though she loved Barack Obama and had faith in what he could do, she only let him run for president because she believed he wouldn’t MAKE IT TOO FAR IN THE RACE. My people, the case is no different from my wife’s. She doesn’t think I stand a chance at all—her faith in me notwithstanding. After all, who is going to let a young man become the commander-in-chief of the Nigerian armed forces when they are VETERAN POLITICAL JUGGERNAUTS desperately eyeing the HOT SEAT???”
“However, she’s been very supportive during my campaigns, and I can tell you categorically that I wouldn’t be standing here today without the unyielding support of my adorable wife—my best friend for the last six years, the rock of our YOUNG FAMILY, and the LOVE OF MY LIFE. I’m talking about our nation’s next POTENTIAL FIRST LADY—who I met at an ART ACADEMY. I couldn’t help falling for her GENIUS—her angelic singing, fascinating playacting, originative authorship, linguistic competence, creative intelligence, divine wisdom, and of course—her DANCING! Gosh! I know that in Nigeria—we have had the “DANCING SENATOR” whose DANCE STEPS made him a POLITICAL SENSATION. But can you take a moment to envisage what it would be like to have a DANCING FIRST LADY???”
“The best part is that these artistic mechanisms would go beyond serving ARTISTIC PURPOSES to serving GLORIOUS PURPOSES for the continuous betterment of our nation. In the case of Michelle Obama, while her husband worked on reforming America's health care system, she focused on the voluntary side of health care. She made it her mission to promote healthy eating and tackle childhood obesity. In fact, her very first project as First Lady in March 2009 was planting a garden on the White House lawn—an excitingly feminine thing to do. In many ways, Michelle Obama was in the tradition of previous first ladies: she was a style icon like Jackie Kennedy—the wife of the assassinated young and visionary John Kennedy. To top it off, Michelle was a PARTNER TO THE PRESIDENT ON POLICY ISSUES.”
“Knowing my wife too well, I would not dare to expect any less from her. As a firm believer in God, the needs of the people will indeed come first—and I trust her to tow the path of biblical King David who habitually commanded the ATTENTION OF THE GOD by offering Living-Praise and Worship to Him—after which he would channel that attention into MATTERS ARISING in Israel—where he ruled as king. You should already know that during his forty years as king of Israel, David lost no single battle, though he had a LEGION OF DEMONIC ADVERSARIES who wanted him DEAD!”
“But, as the saying goes: “ONE WITH GOD IS MAJORITY.” Even so, it is written in the book of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 that “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (NIV). This is why—for every Mr. President, there should be a Mrs. First lady. And for every office of Mr. President, there should be a complementing office of Mrs. First Lady—because if one of those offices runs without the other, the nation may likely FALL TO RUINS.”
“Since it is going to be my wife and me together on this course—with God and Nigerians on our side—NOTHING DEY HAPPEN! NO SHAKING! WE ARE TOO BLOODY TO BE BLOCKED! The shenanigans of adversaries will HOLD NO WATER! Please, my people, it’s not that I’m trying to purport myself as a LOW BUDGET ALPHA AND OMEGA here. But I forever stand on the scripture that holds that “it is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not.”—Lamentations 3:22. Likewise, Lamentations 3:37 questions thus: “who is he who speaks and it comes to pass when the Lord has not commanded it?” I could go on to add that “except the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain that build it.”—and also, “except the LORD keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”—Psalm 127:1.”
“Evidently, with God out of the picture, building a better Nation will prove to be a sheer impossibility! But “with God, nothing shall be impossible.”—Luke 1:37. Absolutely nothing is impossible with God, whether building a corrupt-free nation, or having a young president, or a pregnant first lady, or instituting a NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS who have nothing but the wellbeing of the nation at heart! However, when the only begotten Son of God came into the world to REDEEM HUMANITY, it was the people who passed a death sentence on Him; notwithstanding His powerful signs, extraordinary wonders, and transforming sermons. Such is the POWER OF THE PEOPLE! At their DEMAND, the Son of God was condemned to die by crucifixion—in exchange for the life and freedom of a CORRUPT MURDEROUS ROTTEN CRIMINAL.”
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, there is only so much I can say to drive home my points. As it is, I am already running short of more points to rally you on. If only there was room to prepare for this debate, I would have come equipped. I can only hope that these few points of mine are just enough to appeal to your rationale, otherwise, this would only have been one of those fruitless political random ranting sessions like we used to have before 2023. If it be so, GOOD RIDDANCE for my wife! She would have been right after all. She can then have us go back to basking in CREATIVE ARTS—perhaps get to build an EMPIRE like that of the American actor, writer, producer, comedian, and director: TYLER PERRY—our all-time ROLE MODEL in the domain of ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT.”
“If things turn out that way—and evil gets to prevail in Nigeria eventually—it definitely wouldn’t be a case of EVIL PREVAILING because GOOD MEN REFUSED TO DO SOMETHING. My fellow good people of Nigeria, this is where I draw the curtain and give room to my opponent to also STATE HIS COURSE—so that you can then decide in whose hands you wish to leave your destiny for the coming many years. GOD BLESS NIGERIA!”
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THE AFTERMATH
It becomes an emotional moment for the Nigerian people, one that renders the arena silent like a graveyard despite the mammoth crowd. No one seems to rise to the occasion of BREAKING THE SILENCE. Mr. President’s quick and powerful submissions appear to have pierced through the dividing asunder of the people’s souls, spirits, joints, and marrows—little wonder the LOUD SILENCE. But not even such loud silence is able to keep the OTHER CANDIDATE from grabbing his microphone and commencing his debate. Without waiting for an introduction whatsoever, he mounts his podium and proceeds, starting out with the USUAL FORMALITIES:
“Your excellency—the director-general of the FORMER HOUSE PEOPLES PARTY, your excellency—the National Chairman of our great party, your excellency—the former Minister of State and Petroleum Resources, your excellency—the former Minister of Niger Delta......bla-bla-bla.” The people wouldn’t let him reach the “DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN” part before getting bored by his babbles and starting to grumble—“IT’S OKAY…IT’S OKAY.” A little puzzled, he tries to decipher the seeming drama. But the grumble dies out, as the people are still overwhelmed by Mr. President’s words. He shakes off the seeming distraction and continues. But the people again intersect with another round of more intensifying grumble—“IT’S OKAY! IT’S OKAY!”
In confusion, the OTHER CANDIDATE casts random glances around the arena as if to figure out what the seeming drama is about. Unable to solve the puzzle, he makes to continue his talk. But this time, the grumbling gets furious! It is no longer a grumble. It becomes near uproar—“IT’S OKAY! IT’S OKAY! OFF THE MIC!” Helpless and confounded, he launches into some sort of plea—asking to be heard. In a seemingly helpless state, he craves the people’s indulgence, beseeching—“PLEASE LET ME TALK. LET ME EXPLAIN. LET ME EXPLAIN.” But the people keep bombarding him with a series of thunderous “IT’S OKAY! IT’S OKAY!! OFF THE MIC!!!” Then, OUT OF THE BLUE—comes the echoing voice of Mr. Vice President (the outgoing president) chanting: “MR. PRESIDENT! MR. PRESIDENT!! MR. PRESIDENT!!!”
Obviously, that was him pronouncing Mr. President the winner! It caught the people's attention, though OFF-GUARD! Mr. Vice President didn’t mind that no one joined him to chant. He kept on changing—MR. PRESIDENT! MR. PRESIDENT! Soon enough, his colleagues, who had been members of his cabinet, join in the chanting. Seeing the NUMBER ONE MAN and his cronies rise to the occasion of declaring Mr. President the winner, the people couldn’t hold back their support, especially being that Mr. Vice President had performed so well during his time in office. Plus, he co-pioneered the GREAT REVOLUTION in 2023 which saw Mr. President conceding the seat to him in like-manner. Indeed, what goes around—comes around. For such reason and more, his pronunciation of Mr. President as the winner—meets no resistance, as the people join him to chant—MR. PRESIDENT! MR. PRESIDENT!!
Soon enough, the entire stadium quakes from the people’s earsplitting chants, and the bad eggs QUICKLY FIND THEIR WAY OUT OF THE ARENA before a non-existent hell COMES CRASHING DOWN ON THEM! LOL. No wonder the bible says that “THE WICKED FLEE WHEN NO ONE PURSUES…” And quite contrarily, the concluding part of that same scripture says: “…BUT THE RIGHTEOUS ARE BOLD AS A LION.”—Proverbs 28:1.
Meanwhile, from the arena, the chant extends to diverse viewers of the debate across the world—who madly join the jubilee to the amazement of immediate neighbors and neighborhoods. By now, Mr. President had been jacked-up by the clashing-clustering masses who all join hands to throw him up and down. It’s all shades of jubilation in the arena and among Nigerians across the globe—witnessing the event! No one saw such victory coming—I mean, such DRAMATIC VICTORY! Mr. President, himself—can not believe that his random ranting had brought about such jubilee. His words couldn’t have been so captivating as to earn him the endorsement of diverse Nigerians with varying levels of creative intellectuality. His foul cry couldn’t have appealed that much to their reasonability. Oh no! it couldn’t have been his doing! There had to be more!
After Israel was held captive in Egypt for over 400 years, God, through Moses and Aron, delivered them from their captivity and led them to the promised land. On their way, they fought and won many battles, even conquering FIERCE GIANTS and seizing their territories. But the bible makes us understand that those VICTORIES didn’t come by THEIR SWORD, though they slew down nations. The biblical King David—while offering his usual Living-Praise to God, had extolled the name of the Lord for those ancient victories—saying: “for they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them. But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance because You favored them.”—Psalm 44:3.
Likewise, Mr. President’s case is clearly that of God favoring Nigeria, delivering her from THOSE WHO ARE STRONGER THAN HER, and causing Nigerians to POSSESS THEIR POSSESSION—as should be the case with citizens of any nation. No one knew this remarkable feat to be a function of God’s favor than the potential Mrs. First Lady—who, managing to press through the jubilant crowd to the stage—grabs the microphone and breaks down in total worship—to the amazement of everyone in the arena—including her husband. It has always been in her/her husband’s habit to give Glory to God whenever the occasion demands. But Mr. President had been overtaken by the heated jubilee of the people—hence his pregnant wife RISING TO THE OCCASION—on his behalf—on behalf of the people.
She was certain that there was no way in the world—that her young husband could emerge victorious except God made it happen. It was clear to her that this victory could only have come at the instance of God—hence God being deserving of WORSHIP for performing such a MIGHTY THING. Gently, softly, as if from an empty space, her angelic voice ushers in a tune, a song of adoration, one that effortlessly and slowly shrinks and overshadows the jubilant voices of the happy masses until, somewhat magically, there’s absolute silence again in the arena—except for the voice of the pregnant first lady which keeps snowballing as she sings on……until the people recognize the song and give themselves over to the strange presence that is already invading the place.
Soon enough, all knees bend, all hands raise, all eyes close, and all lips give free rein to the wordings of the song. Those who don’t know the song simply relax into the aura of the strange OVERWHELMING PRESENCE which cheers hearts, lightens souls, and steers minds into realms so divine. It’s an overflow of glory, a glory that would soon invade the whole earth, affording the world’s people the same experience as those in the arena. From the diverse mechanisms that were employed to broadcast the debate worldwide, the voice of the pregnant first lady is heard rendering the song. It just so happens that whoever hears her voice—inevitably gets overwhelmed like those in the arena. In a space of just 9-minutes (the duration of the song), the said glory extends its footprint across Nigeria, across Africa, and across the world’s continents, invading the whole earth—A GLORY INVASION IN 9-MINUTES.
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THE SONG—“OCEANS (WHERE FEET MAY FAIL)”—HILLSONG UNITED
INTRO
(Prelude—Instrumental)
VERSE 1
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
CHORUS
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
VERSE 2
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now
CHORUS
So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine ooo
You are mine ooo
BRIDGE
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
(Repeat—6X)
Yeeeaaahhh
Oh Jesus yeeeaaahhh
Yeeaahh
CHORUS
I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine
OUTRO
(Instrumental)
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THE INVASION
INTRO: 00:00—00:35 SECONDS
A typical worshiper, the pregnant first lady begins by humming the intro of the song (since there’s no band to give her assistance with instrumentals). Taking a break from the humming, she gives tongue to paraphrased words of adoration—originally rendered by an angel in PSALM 8:3-6.
“When I consider Your heavens”
“The work of your fingers”
“The moon and the stars”
“What is Nigeria—that you are mindful of her?”
“Who is my husband—that you have visited him?”
“What are we—that you have made us a little lower than angels?”
“You have crowned us with glory and honor.”
“You have put adversaries under our feet.”
Those words pierce through the people’s hearts the more, tears already welling up in many eyes. Indeed, what is Nigeria that God should visit with such glory? Who is Mr. President that God should so exalt? However, speaking of God, Romans 9:18 says: “He has mercy on whoever chooses…” Mr. President so happens to be a beneficiary of the mercy. Not by qualification, not by pedigree, just MERCY. The intro soon fades, and the pregnant first lady begins the first verse—with a tender expression, a warm voice—so soothing to the soul, singing…
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VERSE ONE: 00:35—01:04 MINUTES
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
Upon his wife’s soulful rendition of the verse, Mr. President loses stamina, falling face-down in worship. Being a nobody from youth—only to become a potential number-one citizen of a nation, he’s certain that God had CALLED HIM OUT OF THE GREAT UNKNOWN WHERE HIS FEET WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE FAILED HIM. To now be potentially burdened with the task of running a nation—is nothing short of him—mysteriously finding himself in DEAP OCEAN that he’s incapable of swimming through. Nonetheless, HIS FAITH STANDS, as he ponders on PSALM 2:7-9 and PSALM 113 7-8.
“I will announce,” says the king, “what the Lord has declared.”
He said to me: “You are my son. Today, I have become your father.”
“Ask, and I will give you all nations.”
“Ask, and the whole earth will be yours.”
“He raises the poor out of the dust,”
“And lifts the needy out of the dunghill,”
“That He may seat him with princes,”
“With the princes of His people.”
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CHORUS: 01:04—01:44 MINUTES
The first verse ends, and the pregnant first lady, along with those in the arena (who know the song)—jointly break into the chorus—all deeply immersed in the presence that had by now drowned all iota of human consciousness, having ushered every soul into paranormal realms. With still eyes closed and hands still raised, the people softly render…
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
While Mr. President’s worship bothers on asking and being given nations and the whole earth, his wife pledges to call upon the name of the Lord and to keep her eyes above the waves may come her way during her time as the first lady, especially being that she hadn’t bargained for that office. With tears flowing down her cheeks, she oaths to rest in God’s embrace whenever oceans rise, taking relief in the hope that she is God’s, and God is hers, as she ultimately draws confidence from Psalm 33:18-19.
“Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,”
“On those who hope in His mercy,”
“Those who revere and worship Him with awe,”
“Those who wait for Him and hope in His loving-kindness,”
“To deliver their soul from death,”
“And to keep them alive in famine.”
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VERSE TWO: 01:44—02:13 MINUTES
As the people continue to worship, the strange presence that had visited the arena—assumes an invasive dimension……and intensifies……seeming more like a rushing might wind. In no distant time, it extends beyond Nigeria……to the rest of Africa, though the rest of Africa had nothing to do with the debate or the singing. Nevertheless, it gets hit hard—upon the rendition of the second verse.
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now
While Nigeria may have been DEEP WATERS, Africa, a much larger landmass—consisting of 54 countries, is indeed DEEPEST WATERS. Now, the grace of God abounds in this DEEPEST WATERS—with God’s sovereign hand sure to guide Mr. President and Mrs. First lady as they extend the purge of bad leadership beyond Nigeria to the entire black continent. Where their feet may fail—and where fear may surround them, they hope, as they worship, that God guides them, for He has never failed in guiding them, and would surely not start now. The duo—being one in spirit, draw backing from Psalm 37:23-25.
“The steps of good men are ordered by the LORD,”
“And He delights in their ways.”
“Though they fall, they shall not be utterly cast down;”
“For the LORD upholds them with His hand.”
“I have been young, and now am old;”
“Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,”
“Nor his descendants begging bread.”
-----
CHORUS: 02:13—03:07 MINUTES
All over Africa, there’s a weird occurrence, an invasion. Many can’t fathom this strange thing that their eyes behold, nor the peculiar mood that slowly consumes their soul. They can hear the pregnant first lady’s voice from their TVs and mobile phones as they watch, which seems to also echo-in on them from the clouds—on the wings of the invasion. Those who didn’t watch—are completely lost. Nonetheless, those of them with open hearts—get caught up in the invasion. Others remain lost and consumed with anxious curiosity, trying to decipher the moment, as the invasion enjoys a more aggressive boost by a second rendition of the chorus.
So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine ooo
You are mine ooo
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INTERLUDE: 03:07—03:39 MINUTES
(Instrumental)
Voices silence, movements cease, it seems like the earth comes to a standstill—only giving free rein to the pregnant first lady’s humming of the 32-seconds interlude of the song (since there’s no band to give her assist with instrumentals). As the invasion saturates Africa, a teary Mr. President, bearing in mind the longstanding subjugation of the continent, loudly proclaims Psalm 46:4-7 to the hearing of all.
“There is a river (Nigeria),”
“Whose streams shall make glad the city of God (Africa),”
“The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most-High.”
“God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;”
“God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.”
“The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;”
“He uttered His voice, the earth melted.”
The LORD of hosts is with us;”
“The God of Jacob is our refuge.”
As the soul-seizing interlude draws to a close, the invasion, having now lit Africa up, extends to the other continents—just upon the commencement of the BRIDGE.
-----
BRIDGE: 03:39—07:14
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
(Repeat—6X)
The 3-minutes and 35-seconds in which this bridge lasts—is the time in which glory invades the other continents, first annexing EUROPE off-guard, then overrunning ASIA, perplexing AUSTRALIA, bamboozling ANTARCTICA—then swaying vigorously across to NORTH and SOUTH AMERICA. The bridge repeats six times, affording each of the six continents a historical experience—such as recorded in the book of Acts 2:1-2 which says: “when the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.”
In this case, the invading glory doesn’t fill a house comprising of sitting persons. It fills whole landmasses comprising random multitudes—many bending the knee as a consequence, raising hands, closing eyes, submerged in an atmosphere of involuntary worship. This was a case of “God gathering the waters of the sea together as a heap—and laying up the deep in storehouses. Therefore, let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him—for He spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever. The plans of His heart stands to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. Blessed is the people He has chosen as His own inheritance”—Psalm 33:7-12.
Anxious curiosity consumes the peoples of the nations who aren’t open enough to be submerged in this atmosphere of involuntary worship. So, all they do is make an effort to decipher the moment. It doesn’t seem like an alien attack, nor the events that would precede the end of the world. It’s too glorious a thing to mark an ENDING. Rather, it is a magnificence that is synonymous with BEGINNINGS. Wise men commence fact-findings, and in no distant time, the seeming mystery is unraveled: it started in Africa, in Nigeria—an open-air political wrangle that appears to have established a new generation of leadership in the system—corruption-free……but GLORY-FULL. However, this wasn’t before the concluding part of the bridge—as well as the final chorus and outro of the song.
-----
BRIDGE—CONCLUDING PART
Back in Africa—in Nigeria, in the arena, the pregnant first lady and the people virtually ruin their vocal cords with a loud rendering of the concluding part of the bridge, worshiping Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, whose strength is in the clouds, who gives strength and power to His people.
Yeeeaaahhh
Oh Jesus yeeeaaahhh
Yeeaahh
-----
CHORUS: 07:14—07:43
The loudest of silence succeeds the bridge, as everyone in the arena bow in total surrender—with tear-washed faces. Only the pregnant first lady chants the last chorus—in the same manner that she started the song……with a warm expression, affectionately rounding up.
I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine
The loud silence continues afterward, as the pregnant first lady hums the song to a close (since there’s no band to give her assistance with instrumentals that make up the outro).
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OUTRO: 07:43—09:00
As the song fades, the people slowly begin to regain consciousness, including Mr. President—who mutters his last words of adoration to the Lord—HIS GOD……words of adoration from Psalm 71:19-20.
“Your righteousness reaches to the skies,”
“O God, you who have done great things.”
“Who, O God, is like you?”
“Though you have made me see troubles—many and bitter,”
“You will restore my life again—from the depths of the earth,”
“You will increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.”
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POST INVASION
Gradually, consciousness returns to the people of the world who had been swept over by the invasion, many making efforts to determine what had overshadowed them. The invasion would soon be common knowledge, the fame of Mr. President spreading abroad as a consequence, as much as fame of the pregnant first lady, of the historical political wrangle, of the NEWER DAWN in Nigeria…and so on…and so forth.
Meanwhile, at the arena, the people rise to their feet—all consumed with awe, not exactly sure what comes next. The same goes for those worldwide still observing things on TV and social media. The people don’t exactly fathom the strange occurrence that steered them into some sort of forceful surrender. Hence, they need their minds cleared up, and Mr. President wouldn’t hesitate to rise to the occasion.
BUT EVEN MR. PRESIDENT—LACKS FOR WORDS WITH WHICH TO RISE TO THE OCCASION. SO HE OPTS TO DRAW SUBMISSIONS FROM A SOLID TEACHING THAT BOTHERS ON THE CENTRAL THEME OF THE INVASION: WORSHIP—AS MINISTERED BY A REVERED NIGERIAN CLERIC, AN UNDISPUTABLE CUSTODIAN OF THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE, A PRIEST IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN—PASTOR ITORO ISONG.
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MR. PRESIDENT’S SUBMISSION: PASTOR ITORO ISONG—WORSHIP
“Great people of Nigeria, let me explain to you—what has just taken place here today. The summary of it—is WORSHIP. One of the things that God cannot do for Himself is to worship himself. God can SWEAR by himself but cannot worship himself. That is our job to do. But, to worship the Lord, we must do it with understanding. Proverbs 21:16 states that “the man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.” Therefore, those who worship God in ignorance—can be safely termed, DEAD WORSHIPERS.”
“While having a worship-related dialogue with Jesus at a well, a Samaritan woman had thus said to the son of God: “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain. But you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” In response, Jesus said to her: “a time is coming when you will worship the Father—neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. But we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet, a time is coming—and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers that the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Continuing to draw ideas from the teaching, Mr. President urges the people to take note of the word, “MUST” in Jesus’ response to the woman, stressing that worshiping God with understanding is not negotiable. To emphasize further, he stresses: “one thing that will make the Father keep looking for you is your ability to worship Him with understanding. Note this: worship should not be subject to location. God can be worshiped anywhere—like we just did here today. In 1st Timothy 2:8, the bible says “I desire therefore that men pray everywhere…” So, if prayer can be done everywhere, worship is no exception.”
“True worship is driven by objective. John 4:22 says: “you worship what you do not know; we know what we worship…” That is to say—true worship is based on facts and truths about your object of worship, not feelings or opinions. Hence, by implication, true worship is purpose-driven. When you worship, you should have an aim. If you don’t have an aim for your worship, your worship is subject to distraction, and God doesn’t receive distracted worship. When we pray, God answers. But when we worship with understanding, God comes around—just as we experienced here today, though the understanding may not have been mutual. But my wife knew exactly what she was up to—when she grabbed that mic and began to sing.”
“So, when we worship with understanding, God comes around in the midst of our worship, even invading our spaces if he so wills. When He does so, anything that is not synonymous with God—gives way—like bad leadership has today given way in Nigeria. To be clearer on what worshiping with understanding entails, let’s look at some GOAL ORIENTED worship scenarios in the bible.”
MATTHEW 8:2—“And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." The goal/objective of the leprous man’s worship was FOR HIM BE MADE CLEAN. His leprosy did not distract him—and he was made clean.”
MATTHEW 9:18—“While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "my daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” The goal and objective of his worship was the HEALING OF HIS DAUGHTER. Because his worship had a goal, not even his position as a RULER could distract him. Ultimately, his daughter was healed.”
MATTHEW 14:33—“Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying: truly You are the Son of God.” Here, Jesus was worshiped for His unlimited power and recognized for his sovereignty over the wind. This was after Jesus walked on water—and caused a boisterous wind to cease.”
“I can go on and on—with scenarios upon scenarios. But those few should serve. You see, worship is the father’s delight. That is why He seeks worshipers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. When Mary came crying at Jesus’ feet and wiping her tears with her hair, Jesus recognized her as being a worshiper. Luke 7:45-46 says: “You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.”
“The Greek word for WORSHIP is PROSKUNEO, which means TO KISS LIKE A DOG LICKING ITS MASTER’S HAND. Worship is RECOGNIZING GOD AS YOUR OWNER. By kissing Jesus’ feet unendingly, Mary worshiped Jesus with the goal of recognizing Jesus as her owner. PROSKUNEO also means to PROSTRATE ONESELF IN HOMAGE. Mary bowed herself at Jesus’ feet to kiss and wipe His feet. This is the kind of worshipers that God seeks—TRUE WORSHIPERS.”
“Also note this: for there to be true worshipers—there are FALSE WORSHIPERS. False worshipers are not farfetched. They possess all the characteristics of true worshipers—but they are not truthful in their worship. What makes worship truthful is the exposé of God that you have in your spirit through His word, as evident in John 17:17 which says: “sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” True worship is not a function of the songs of worship that we sing. It is a function of the revelation of God that we have—from the HOLY BOOK. These revelations fill the heart abundantly with knowledge of who God is. It is these revelations/knowledge that fuels true worship.”
“While people go in search of God—to have their problems solved, there are people God goes in search for—to solve their problems, and those people are TRUE WORSHIPERS. If we, as a nation, can make true worship a norm, then the LONG-DEPRIVED NIGERIAN DREAM would become a reality in a lesser time than envisaged—and remain so until the end of the world. What made David an outstanding king in Israel was his habitual offering of true worship to God. For 40 years as king, he lost no battle, conquered all adversaries, and satisfied the nation of Israel with skillful leadership. What’s best is that—upon his death, he left the nation in the hands of his wise son—SOLOMON. This can be replicated in Nigeria—until the end of time.”
“But please note: when worshiping, never paint an image of anything in your mind. God is not an image. No one can imagine God. The only way to decipher God is through his word. To paint an image of anything in your mind when supposedly worshiping—is idolatry. Finally, worship is more than a song—worship is an attitude. Attitude is the way you think and feel about someone. It is also a feeling or a way of thinking that affects a person’s behavior. If you can’t think, you can’t worship. Even if you can think but can’t think about God, you cannot worship God. And you cannot think about God without worship flowing from your heart. To be a true worshiper, you must have the word of God richly in your heart, and you must know God for yourself. If you do not know God but wish to know Him, seek Him. When you seek Him from your heart, you will find Him. If you do not find Him, He will find you. Just seek Him.”
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“My countrymen, if Nigeria must be—and continue to be the nation we desire it to be, God—who owns the earth as a whole, must be at the center of the nation’s affairs. As you all know, the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof. I draw the curtain here, my people—and from now going forward, let the will of God be done in Nigeria, in Africa, and the world at large—as it is in heaven. God bless Nigeria!”
The people were at the brink of lending their voices to passionate shouts of victory when the pregnant first lady interrupted and craved everyone’s indulgence, drawing everyone’s attention the need for prayer too—as a necessity. Stating the well-known fact that POWER CORRUPTS, and ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY, she asks that prayers be made for Mr. President—to ensure that he doesn’t get corrupted by power, and absolutely corrupted by absolute power. She opts to take the prayer herself, asking that the people echo resounding AMENs as she prays—a prayer she draws from the 72nd book of Psalm, as made by the wisest ruler of all-times: KING SOLOMON.
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THE PRAYER—PSALM 72 (A PSALM OF SOLOMON)
“Endow the king with your justice, O God. Endow the ROYAL SON with your righteousness. He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills will bring the fruit of righteousness. He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy. He will crush the oppressor. He will endure as long as the sun—and as long as the moon—through all generations.”
“He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. In his days the righteous will flourish—and prosperity will abound till the moon is no more. He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. The desert tribes will bow before him—and his enemies will lick the dust. The rulers of the earth and of distant shores will bring tribute to him. World leaders will present him gifts.”
“All kings will bow down to him, and all nations will serve him—for he will deliver the needy who cry out, and the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy—and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.”
“Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field. May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory.”
“AMEN AND AMEN.”
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CONCLUSION
And so it’s been—upon THE RETURN OF MR. PRESIDENT. A glorious return, one that could never have been predicted by the gods and oracles of men. Not even the devil saw it coming, nor his underlings. Even Mr. President didn’t see it coming! No one at all—saw it coming. This may just have been a divinely orchestrated episode—such as captured in the book of Daniel 4:17 which says: “This matter is by the decree of the WATCHERS, and the demand by the word of the HOLY ONES: to the intent that the living may know that the MOST-HIGH rules in the kingdom of men—and gives it to whomsoever he chooses, even setting over it the LOWEST OF MEN, making LEADERS out of LOSERS.” As it now is, “the stone which the builders rejected—has become the chief cornerstone.”—Psalm 118:22. And so it’s been—upon the RETURN OF MR. PRESIDENT. Now, we look forward to the next phase—THE REIGN OF MR. PRESIDENT. Anticipate!!!
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WORKS CITED
Hillsong United: “OCEANS (WHERE FEET MAY FAIL)”
Holy Bible: “THE BOOK OF PSALMS”
Pastor Itoro Isong: “THE WORD (WORSHIP)”
@Truthfully83: “TWITTER NIGERIA”
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©Jezuzboi, 2020
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