Commentaries on Contemporary Nigerian Politics

PSALM 37: THE WICKED AND THE AWESOMENESS OF GOD

S ince creation, man has had to contend with spiritual and human wickedness, both in high and low places. Wickedness has retarded the spiritual and material ascendancy of the human race. It continues to do so.

For Man to survive till the end of the 21st century, Man must eschew wicked wars and wickedness.

In order to assist man to understand the consequences of wickedness and move on in life, the Psalmist has portrayed the dire consequences of wickedness.

In Psalm 37, the clear statements of the Psalmist are reproduced and the spiritual consequences for wickedness are well documented. The everlasting message of the Holy Breath is that the wicked shall never go unpunished,

Anyone, who has lived through the wickedness of man, a tribe or an institution, will testify that no matter how long it lasts, the wicked surely shall never go unpunished.

Because your Creator will fight for you, you will keep your peace. God has asked you to call upon Him and gave the blessed assurance that He will answer you in your time of trouble.

He answered the Egyptians a long time ago and has continued to answer the Israelis. He answers me. He will answer you today, if you call upon Him.

King David called upon Him and instructed us in Psalm 37 not to Fret because of evil-doers nor be envious of the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good and dwell forever more.

The wicked are those, who wish others evil. Wickedness is the work of the devil, who uses his human agents to cause harm to the Sons and Daughters of God.

The wicked may act singularly or collectively. They often belong to occult brotherhoods and other entities that have sworn to do evil by affecting through satanic powers, people, who have done them no harm.

Such people are often motivated by jealousy, incompetence and just plain engagement in group dynamics and evil-doing. The victim of evil-doers may not have done any harm to the tribal collective. Yet they engage in sinister activities to hurt their victims.

You should dwell in the land and not quit because of their wickedness You should delight in the Lord. When the wicked look at you, they are disappointed that you are not moved.

You should feed on God’s faithfulness. As you get the desires of your heart, the wicked will intensify their plots. In institutions, they will deprive you of your rights in sinister ways. Do not fret.

They will hold secret, nocturnal meetings against you. Be steadfast. Commit yourself unto the Lord. Trust also in Him. He will frustrate their knavery. He will bring forth your righteousness as the Light and your justice as the noon day.

In the end, they shall be put to shame as you soar like the eagle. The pit they dug for you, they will fall into it.

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. He is a long suffering God, who gives adequate time to the wicked to repent. When it is time for God to revenge and fight for you, he will open the door, which no-one can close and he will shut the door against the wicked, which no one can open. As the wicked kisses the dust of infamy, you will see it. You will look for them and you will not find them

Things and positions can manifest as man-made gods. These are high office, money and the possession of occult, mystical, psychic and clairvoyant powers. Such people practice wickedness and feed off the weakness of those, who worship man-made gods. Those, who worship the Living God cannot be moved.

I refuse to worship man-made gods and I have successfully fought them all. You are not free if you at the beck and call of any human or juristic person. Be very careful not to lose your divinity for a pot of sugar. Many have and are regretting.

Do not fret because of him, who prospers in his way. You remember those Nigerian ministers, Governors and others, who prospered and were thought to have done well. Some, today are the living dead.

The opulence some of our politicians have been associated with cannot compare the opulence of Chinese emperors and their cohorts, especially Emperor SUI, whose decadence led to his violent overthrow.

Do not fret because of him, who bringest wicked schemes to pass. Those, who plan wickedness to the discomfort of the Sons and Daughters of God. They deprive you of your promotion, use witchcraft to make you sick and disoriented. They hatch plans to pull you down because of your talent and abilities, which they do not possess.

They meet in secret places to plan against you. They secretly remove your letters to prevent you from knowing about new appointments that you have been given. They sabotage your efforts in many ways. They spread rumours about you, in order to discredit you. They are inoculated to think evil and do evil. They have serpentine tongues and asps under their lips.

Even when you know these things through your spirit of discernment, you should cease from anger and forsake wrath. If you react to spiritual provocations and temptations, you will fall into the plans of the enemy agents, those satan uses to cause confusion, disaffection and mayhem in the Universe of Man, where he goes from east to west, north to south seeking for whom to ensnare and destroy.

If you pray for them and ignore them, they will feel disappointed and defeated, but they will not give up. However, it is sure that evil-doers shall be cut off. I can tell you for sure because I have seen the wicked in the height of the wicked and in the fullness of time, they were cut of. I search for them, but I do not find them.

Exactly, as the Lord said in Psalm 37. Do not fret. It only causes harm. Those, who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

Do not fret about those, who lie against you, because the lip of truth shall be established forever but the lying tongue is but for a moment. Many governors have lied in court and were acquitted, but were later exposed.

One of the seven things God hates is a lying tongue. Those, who have agreed to serve satan, he pulls out their tongues and replaces then with lying tongues to enable them deceive like he does.

For yet a little while the wicked shall be no more. You shall carefully look for his place. But it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

"The wicked plots against the just and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him for He sees that his day is coming. The wicked draws his sword

And have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy. To slay those, who is upright of conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart and their bows shall be broken".

"The little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken. But the Lord upholdeth the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the upright. And their inheritance shall be forever.

They shall not be ashamed in the evil time. And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish. And the enemies of the Lord, like the splendor of the meadows shall varnish. Into smoke, they shall varnish away".

The wicked borroweth and pays not again. The person, who was desperate for financial assistance and you oblige him or her, then refuses to pay back. This is a sure sign of wickedness.

Those cursed by the Lord shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. And he delights in his ways. Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down. For the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

I have been young and now I am old. Yet, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.Depart from evil and dwell forever more. For the Lord loves justice and does not forsake His saints, they are preserved for ever more. The Descendants of the wicked shall all be cut off. I am a witness!!! I have seen many wicked persons cut off. The righteous shall inherit the earth and dwell in it forever.

"The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom and his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart. None of his steps shall slide. The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to slay him.

The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. When the wicked are cut off, you will see. I have seen the wicked in great power, spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet, he passed away and he was no more. Indeed I sought for him and he could not be found".

Mark the harmless man and observe the upright. The end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together. The future of the wicked shall be cut off.

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord. He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them He shall deliver them from the wicked as He delivered me from the wicked; He saves us because we trust in him. The wicked shall never go unpunished said the Lord.

As Psalm 91 admonishes, "He who dwelleth in the secret places of the most High God, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. HE shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with his feathers. Histruth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night nor of the arrow that flies by day… nor of the destruction that lays at noonday. You will see the reward of the wicked with your eyes.

I have seen confusion as the enemies of their enemies wrought mayhem on the wicked. No evil shall befall those, who know peace. Because the Lord protects his own through his angels, it is well with the Sons and daughters of the Most High God.

They shall call upon the Lord and He will answer them. With long life He shall honour them.

In Psalm 119, it is written, Blessed is the undefiled in their way, who walk in the law of the law? Blessed are those. Who keep His testimonies? Who seek Him with their whole heart? They also do no inequity which the Lord hates.

To the wicked, these six things the Lord hates. Yes, the seven are abomination to Him. A proud look, a lying tongue, h ands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness, who speaks lies and one, who sows discord among brethren.

Every good or evil thing starts with a thought or thoughts. The thought or thoughts persist. These could then lead to temptation. Where the temptation persists, action or actions follow. These actions, where they are wicked or evil, karma is incurred. The payment of karmic rewards lead to learning of lessons or experience, which is said to be the best teacher.

After the experience, one gets understanding and wisdom. A reformed person is he who has passed through these life-shaping processes and, trusting in God, the Father, can find his or her way to paradise. This is my doctrine on the evils of temptation and how it afflicts every living soul.

For example, NATO officials were tempted to sow discord between Benghazi Libyans and Tripoli Libyans, kill their leader and destroyed the state. Now, the Benghazi L Libyans have declared their independence to the astonishment of green horn diplomatic operators world-wide, who follow members of the international community, in naïve posturing.

In international Law, the Benghazi Republic has the right to self-determination, since its main reason for the declaration is that the new Government in Tripoli is not meeting their needs. They satisfy the conditions for statehood under Article 1 of the Montevideo Convention of 1933.

The wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Carthage, were pursued as foreign policy objectives in the national interests of some states. However, the results have not shown the ingenuity that propelled those actions.

This is why the hurried eagerness to strike other nations and cause mayhem, which are regretted later, does not seem a sound way to adhere to the principle of peaceful co-existence. There are no problems or disagreements between states that cannot be solved, where there is goodwill and the determination to negotiate. Where there is a will, there is always a way.

Libya is in a state of dismembratio. Also, Senator McCain has advocated the bombing of Syria. He supported the invasion of Iraq and Libya. Does he ever care that innocent women and children do die? What blood flows through Senator McCain’s veins? Thank God! that he failed to be the President of the United States of America. Have we not seen enough of the destruction of the Sons and Daughters of God by politicians with misplaced conscience?

I have had to associate John McCain with murderous pleadings over the years. I still do. He seems to be cast in the mould of those ancient gladiators, who propagate wars, in spite of their multiple reincarnations.

In Romans 8:28, it is written "And we know that all things work for good to them that love God to those whom He called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew He also predestined to conform to the image of His Son that he might be the first born among many brethren.

Moreover, whom He predestined these He also called, whom He called these He also justified, whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then can we say about these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God that justifies", not mealy-mouthed politicians, some of who are charlatans.

Some have ox blood and the fluid of the orchid as a result of which they approve of wicked designs in obedience to Luciferian edicts, which they swore, in secret chambers, in the height of night, to uphold to stay in political power.

Politicians cannot separate us from the love of God, nor tribulations, distress, persecution famine, nakedness, peril or sword.

We may also add corruption, charlatanry, false pretences and unethical political practices. Unconcern about the people politicians vowed to govern. manifest as wickedness. The treatment of the people of South Sudan, where the Arab Sudanese Government has been oppressing the Africans in South Sudan calls for sustained diplomatic action, rather than flex diplomatic muscles over runaway compatriots, fleeing the vagaries of life in their own country. We should create conducive conditions in Nigeria, so that our compatriots do not flock to other states, where they receive humiliating and degrading treatment.

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala has urged Nigerians in Guangzhou to bring down their thriving companies in China to Nigeria. As Professor of International Law at Qingdao University of Science and Technology, I preached the same gospel of nationalism. Unfortunately, some, who listened to me and did come, later regretted their patriotic actions. They could not get through the CAC bottlenecks, some officials demanded to be appointed directors, all sorts of demands were made by all sorts of officials.

After a hot baptism of patriotism, they started. Power was epileptic, water was unavailable, the employees started agitating for higher pay. Frustrated, they packed bag and baggage and headed back to China! I got a report that after the Minister of Finance spoke; they smiled broadly, accorded her courtesies but said nothing.

Utter wickedness can be seen in the unconcern shown by officials, who delay action on files, waiting for gratifications. The experience, when NIDAN Diaspora Network applied for registration and was delayed in getting the certificate is significant evidence how well-meaning Nigerians, who want to invest back home are callously treated. Who else wants to try?

The temporary power brokers in all the nations of the world should be told that there is little they can do because the awesome of God Almighty always overpowers and overturns, overturns and overturns.

Mankind must re-think its attitude to wars, if it intends to survive in this hurrying century Woodrow Wilson.

GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: A SOCIAL SCIENCE REVIEW

F uturistic promises of Nirvana in Nigeria have been the historical, political practices among Nigerian rulers. Because the people are complacent, trusting and full of prayerful hope, they have failed to hold their elected leaders to account.

Since 1960, more or less, Nigeria has remained a neo-colonial state, which has largely retained its neo-colonial credentials. Its societal structures, especially its economic system, its judiciary and its civil service have dutifully remained faithful to their colonial heritage.

A social science review of the Nigerian state shows that Nigerian antithetical forces have jolted the Federal Republic from 1966 to present day. There have been rely-race military governments, the Biafra challenge to Federal might, the Maitatsine uprising, NADECO, MEND, the culture of poor leadership and now Boko Haram. We must find out the remote and immediate reasons for their discontent and resolve all outstanding issues in a national conference.

The Nigerian people, the Nigerian elite and the Nigerian state must reconcile their differences. Consent and harmony, not supremest posturing are the requirements for cordiality, peace and progress.

The revolutionary radicalism of Nigeria’s social classes has not found an appropriate leadership in the form of a political party. Since Imoudu led the 1945 labour strike, which impacted on the colonial government, other bread and butter labour demonstrations have not crystallized into movements for social change.

Lenin addressed the issues of spontaneity and consciousness in his theory of the party. For a political party to form a government and succeed, it must ensure the intellectual and moral superiority of its leadership. In the PDP, the vanguard role of its leadership is missing and this calls for remedy.

The trend has been that quasi democratic procedures have prevailed over proletarian struggles for change. This has enabled the Nigerian ruling class to regain authority, each time it has been rattled.

Our social history is yet to reach the point of "inevitability’ that can cause the revolution for social change to take place successfully. If the envisaged transformation can happen, it could prepare the stage for social change, but is there hope?

The driving force of social change is struggle and the determining factor in the last resort is power. In Nigeria, the struggle has been between nations instead of between social classes. This is why it is very difficult to bring about social change and revolution in Nigeria.

That which will bring about social change in any neo-colonial state, is fragmentation, lack of effective governance and ethnic divisiveness

The power of the legislature to pass laws that can impact on social change seems remote because of the class interests of the law-makers, who are beneficiaries of the status quo.

They understand political democracy, in terms of democracy dividends, high salaries and bloated allowances that tend to leave little for development. When we earmark over Four Trillion Naira for the Legislature, which neither sows nor reaps, we must go a borrowing.

We could reduce this burden by paying only sitting allowances to patriots in the National Assembly, who really want to serve the country. The over bloated Executive branch can also take a hair cut.

If we increase agricultural production, engage in the manufacturing of basic commodities, which we now import, one does not need millions of Naira to sustain a healthy living.

We tend to ignore causes of crises, until they get out of hand. Then, under panic, we take measures that only aggravate the situation.

We must not wait for political mal-contents to seek appeasement before, we react to their protestations.

Nigerian journalists of the patriotic genre have written extensively about the need for leaders to honour their campaign promises to no avail. The leaders are emboldened because they know for sure that they can and have gotten away with many unsavoury things and perhaps, will continue to do so.

This was perhaps, why Nicolo Machiavelli observed that princes are not obliged to explain their actions and because the people are simple-minded and trusting, any one, who wants to deceive, will always find people to deceive.

I applaud President Jonathan’s decision to remove from office, those political opportunists, who are diverting the state’s attention by preaching prophetic gospels about 2915. I hope that he will have the guts to do what he has decided to do.

The whole exercise is diversionary and it erodes the people’s confidence and stultifies hope in the transformation agenda of the government.

2015 campaigners are hanging like icy stalagmites, waiting to thaw in 2015. They represent ineptness, which they are hiding in the bowls of time.

They are rank opportunists, who have nothing to offer the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which does not owe dead woods any patrimony. One can discern that these futuristic musings are full of empty sloganeering, incompetence of opinion, bombastic expressions of a future they do not have control over.

They seem disappointed with their present positions, which is why they are strategizing to catch the wind in 2015. Paying lip service to the transformation agenda, which they have done very little to advance is shameful and fraudulent.

We should review the negative policy whereby people are made ministers just because a state governor had sent his or her name to the President in keeping with party directives. Since the cadre of favoured appointees fall short of the competence and imaginative breath evinced in running a complex confederacy, new ideas should be evolved to improve the dire situation.

Since the President holds the aces, he will be held accountable for the ministerial appointments he makes. He cannot convince anyone why he allowed an incompetent officer or one that does as he pleases to remain in office.

Executive power, in matters concerning the survival of the Republic, must be wielded fairly, firmly and justly. To treat aberrant behaviour with levity or soft consideration, will breed contempt and creates a bad precedent for others to emulate. The 2015 campaigners are political under-achievers, who have abandoned their responsibilities in futuristic, clairvoyant pursuits.

The problems of social injustice and poor social conditioning, which are crying for sensible resolutions, cannot be postponed to any future date. Regular reference of societal problems to a future date is an escapist strategy, which strongly indicts those responsible to the people as artful dodgers and incompetent operators.

Opportunism dominates Nigeria’s political culture. Experience has shown that people can get appointed into high political office, but that does not guarantee unblemished performance. So, the polity suffers.

The people have been promised times without number that progress was at the door, only to be disappointed. Long before the 2012 budget was tabled before the National Assembly; informed opinion canvassed remedial action, adjustments and corrections.

Those, who speak in the language of privileged government raised charges of treason against dissenters. They raised the level of rhetoric to dangerous levels.

The unrelenting and persuasive arguments of learned opinion forced government to do a re-think of the budget, setting the benchmark of oil at 90 dollars.

I wish that government officials would apply modesty in their advice to government and they should not give dogma, a name, which it does not deserve.

Wrong pieces of advice to governments have been responsible for some crisis which we have lived through.

It was reported that the Federal Government intends to raise substantial funds from the Republic of China. Communists to the rescue! If the Chinese have been conducting their state affairs, the way we have been doing, they would not have had loans for us. China became independent in 1949 and we became independent in 1960. See how far they have progressed and how backward, we have remained.

Some years back, I wrote an article entitled, China: The Giant of the 21st Century. In yet another piece, I disputed with Western pundits, who had said that because of the Soviet collapse that Communism had failed. In that article entitled, Did Communism Really Fail?, I argued that the Chinese communist system with Chinese specifics has proved the potency of socialist societal organization, which was vehemently criticized by some writers, the 1960s.

Those disputed ideas on social change, which found profound expressions in Hegel’s social theory, Karl Marx’s dialectic materialism, Engel’s dialectics, Lenin’s theory on revolutionary change, and Mao Tse Dong’s cultural revolution and my political theology of God’s acceptance in the lives of all nations, have taken center stage in the new world revolution, which is sweeping away the debris of monarchism, feudalism, superstition, ancient regimes and imperialist capitalism.

As the old orders wither away, the attempts to resurrect old theories and societal governance methods, using old formulas are bound to fail. The desperation of major players on the international scene is a result of the fear that their societies will be in danger, as the revolutionary change knocks at their doors.

Today, all roads lead to the Conquering Dragon state. Chinese intellectuals do not have to engage any more, in futile ideological disputations about its socialist path to societal success. The difference is clear and is becoming clearer every year.

The Doctrine of Socialized Capitalism

The capitalist