A Compulsory Awareness for Poverty Emancipation in Nigeria

Yesterday, I came back from work, tired and famished. I needed no one to tell me that I needed a nice meal and a lot of rest too. Confused about what exactly to eat, I sat outside the house. Barely had I sat there two seconds, a Pentecostal Church adjacent the house started their routine hell of noise. I couldn't help it. I was literarily tore between going to slap the pastor and pulling a trigger through his brain. The sound coming out from their huge speakers strategically arranged in open air, on the street could make anyone lose his/her mind. I was that angry. Infact, my hunger varnished immediately. I then started to wonder how some churches, mosques and their clergies can be so selfish and wicked. Don't other people in the neighborhood deserve tranquility and peace of mind? Does the Bible or Quran teach them to disrespect and trample on the right of others to a serene and peaceful environment in a bid to worship God? I doubt it does! Jesus and Prophet Muhamad didn't teach them like that. Nigeria's hypocritical clergies only choose to be selfish, and cruel. They actually don't care about people in the neighborhood, provided their crusade happens, their membership increases and money comes into their pockets.

How Selfish! Infact, when you sit down to critically analyse their message, you will find out that many of them don't preach repentance or heaven again. Nah prosperity gospel dem carry for head, and inside this Dem prosperity gospel, Dem shabi how to capture members mind with vision, prophecy and revelation about one old woman for Dem church member village, street, and family wey tie their destinies and no let dem prosper. The moment they start churning the trio, you do see members activated in the highest level of spirituality, shouting; "I hear you, sir!" As if that day the miracle will happen, the yoke will break and every member of the church would be ushered into a reign of prosperity. Everything nah psychology. These clergies have understood the workings of the minds of average Nigerians who, instead of been concerned about the State of the Nation, rising above the man-made poverty and misery in the land, they seek solace in the daily spiritual syrup of their pastors and imams.

Moreover, some of dem pastors and imams have no slightest regard for members' success in life, but how they would keep ripping and raping them physically, psychologically, emotionally, financially and spiritually. It's that simple. While the extortionist clergies get richer, it's okay for their members to wallow in poverty. Unfortunately, how shall we Interpret this scriptural passage "...blessed are the poor for they shall inherit the Kingdom of God" in the face of the gross misconduct for economic affluence among various religious leaders? 

Think of it. Why is it that we have the highest number of religious houses, believers and self-acclaimed saints in the world, yet Nigeria remains the constituency for very high poverty rate globally and with  highest corruption index, the most cruel, criminal and reprobate leaders, and the most gullible followership in the world?

Clearly, something is wrong somewhere, and prayers alone can not fix it. Imagine! Some even go as far as telling members, it's okay to be poor on Earth and be rich in heaven. Is it not high time we stopped listening to these clergies parading blind facade and learn to cultivate personal relationship with God and  become aware of our problems and make a strong resolution to take personal responsibilities for them instead?

Argue with your key pad. The polithievcians don't care about citizens. Most of these clergies don't care about their members, and that's obviously the reason they rarely inspire them to challenge the ineffectual political decision and policies.

Research has it that 40% (83 million Nigerians) of the total population of Nigeria are living in poverty. In other words, on average 4 out of 10 individuals in Nigeria has real expenditure below #137,430 per year.

What is poverty?

Poverty is a situation where people can't access the basic needs of life, such as food, clothing and shelter. In connection to that, according to United Nation Development Program, living below $1.25 per day is absolute poverty.

 

Amidst rich mineral endowment, our Government has refused to create weath, to truly diversify the economy, build multi-transport system, power, other infrastructures and invest in Human Capital Development. Consequently, 40% of Nigerians are living in man-made poverty, squalor and misery. Yet they aren't aware of it and do not bother because of the lies they are fed by their Government and in their worship centres. How terrible?

Our gullibility, religiousity and nonchalance have contributed to the ever skyrocketing poverty, hunger, misery and government indifference to the plights of Nigerians. We need to break the chain of false narratives and challenge the status quo. This must begin with an urgent poverty awareness in every streets and  in every state across the federation. Indeed,poverty awareness is fundamental because it is the first step to emancipation.

For us to be emancipated therefore, we must be aware that the extortionist-clergies and politicians are our greatest enemies.

Just so you don't doubt.

During the Corona Virus lockdown, your church headquarters started donating money to government leaving their poor members who pay offerings and tithes to die of hunger. Thanks to the unrepentant criminal politicians and Government. They diverted the donated funds, budgetary allocations and food-items Palliatives to self use. Isn't God wonderful?

Again, during the #EndSARS protest where we, the Nigerian youths troop out on the streets Nation-wide to demand #EndPoliceBrutality, #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria #EndNASSBogusPay #EndInsecurityInTheNorth #MakeNigeriaGreat #ChangeTheNarrative #CreateMoreJobs #ReformAllPublicInstitutions, how many of these churches, mosques and their clergies joined the protest? Did your church or mosque after the day's worship mobilise members on a peaceful protest in solidarity? If there's any, then one or two. That should tell you something. How about the rest? Does it mean their members aren't Nigerians? Does it mean none of their members have fallen victim of police brutality? Does it mean they are no unemployed youth in their worship centres? Does it mean they are no Nigerian living below $1.25 a day in their worship centres?

That aside, when police shot at armless protesters and killed Nigerians, how many of them said a word, protested against the killing and demand that the culprits be fired and made to face the wrath of the law?

Most of the top politicians and biggest looters of our common wealth are members of these big worship centres. They pay their offerings and tithes and donate real big to your clergies. That's one reason they can't challenge them and turn blind eyes to the poverty and hunger in the land.

Woobi, all these clergies and politicians are aware that most Nigerians are living in extreme poverty. Dem no send Nigerians provided them and their families are doing fine.

Nah Nigerians living in poverty no know say Dem dey live in poverty and that is the reason Nigerians still sit in their worship centres to hear lies from clergies and are still mentally deficit to swallow hook, line and sinker lies from the revered men of God who technically support political oppression .Despite the shenanigans orchestrated to pit us against the other through religion and ethnic division, the looting of the various palliative centers across Nigeria proved that many Nigerians are connected by poverty despite the various disparities.

Nigerians are indeed poor and that poverty is reflective in everything they do. To be emancipated, there's an urgent need for poverty awareness to reawaken our consciousness from various politically instigated diversions robed in religion outfit to  break the man-made poverty in NIGERIA.