Independence v. Freedom
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As the engine of Nigeria’s 50th independence celebration was heating up, I began to ponder on this thing called ‘independence’; and was asking how better off the people have been since October 1, 1960. Then, it occurred to me that even though we had gained independence from our colonial masters, we are in a greater mess than when we were under them.
Not that to remain under colonial rule is something to desire, but the reality speaks for itself: we are now one of the most corrupt, lawless, and morally decadent nations in the world. Some have even said that we are a failed State! Citizens provide everything for themselves, from water supply to electricity, using wells and electricity generating sets, respectively. To all intents and purposes, there is no government for the people, only a government for the ruling Party members. The Police act as investigator, prosecutor, judge and executioner; Customs Officers look the other way as contra band goods, guns and ammunitions are brought in through the border, but they will scrutinize even the soap you used when you travelled to Ghana. Parents pay people to sit examinations for their children; teachers demand payments from students before class assignments are given to them, and payments to obtain good grades in exams; women sleep with government officials and politicians for monies which their hardworking counterparts can never have even if they worked for the rest of their lives; Bankers use depositors monies to enrich themselves, and are walking free, while Depositors are forced to fend for themselves; politicians under criminal investigation including murder, win elections while in prison; Judges connive with politicians to free the guilty and punish the innocent; the ‘rule of law’ is a phrase that applies only to the common man, but not to the wealthy and powerful; thieves govern, whereas the hardworking man can barely survive on his legitimate income; there are no elections, only selections. What a calamity this thing called independence has produced! But when we wanted the colonial masters out, it was because we wanted to be free from their oppression. Now Nigerians are under oppression from fellow Nigerians. They are anything but free!
But we have not come to talk politics, but to declare to you the good news: the message of the kingdom of God! And this is the message: God says we are where we are as a…
