John ESENE

Continue from Pt. 1 of May 24, 2026.

     William Aborisade once said, “I strongly believe that fighting and degrading poverty is a necessary condition for a successful fight against corruption.” Reasons: quite a lot of people committing crimes, including stealing of public funds, could be taken off crimes if they had a means of basic survival and a secured future.

       In December 2019, a NON-Governmental Organization, NGO (TDAGRI) advocated registration of prostitution as a business in Nigeria. The leader of the group made this proposal in a statement entitled “Nigeria in the Era of New Political Invention” stressing that prostitution should be recognized and registered as a business for it to serve as EXTRA REVENUE for the Country. If Government should declare prostitution as normal business and compel prostitutes to pay taxes, it will have negative impact on our society in many ways and place our future in dilemma just because the Government wants to accumulate more taxes. But the NGO failed!

     The urge for money at all cost has brought about Ghost Workers in Nigeria Nation. On December 27, 2019 the Vanguard Newspaper reported that the Kogi State Head of Service disclosed while speaking that over 300 ghost workers were discovered on payroll. She lamented that names of some deceased workers still kept on appearing on the payroll. Long before this discovery, many people were aware of this corruption but because such has become a normalcy, nobody among the workers, not even those who paraded themselves as righteous workers rejected it.

        While a man was about to die recently, he entrusted his young family and properties to his elder brother whom he relied so much on. After his burial, his brother sold all the properties and sent the woman and her children away.  But before he could use the money he made from the sales, he died suddenly. If he is permitted to meet his brother hereafter, what will he tell him about his family and the properties he sold? “And because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold.” Mt 24:12.

 

       On July 24, 2019, Wale Ijebiyi told us how a lady was caught while trying to throw away her baby in Lagos. In December 2020, a 20yr-old girl was arrested for selling her baby for N130,000 and said she did so because of hardship. Now that the cost of living is higher than that of last year, what do you expect people to do in future if the Government as usual fails to improve on the economy of our Nation, Nigeria?

     Most of the jobless are eager to work for their upkeep as we saw in Kwara State in January 2024. According to report, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor said in Ilorin, “We received no less than 8,373 applications within 48 hours of opening the portal. That was impressive.” Their intention was to hire 300 production workers but had to shut the job portal shortly because they received more applications than they expected. This has proved beyond reasonable doubt that most hungry Nigerians are ready to earn their living if the doors are open to them.

     Prof. Ben Nwabueze has said, “Poor leadership at the Federal level was responsible for Nigeria’s inclusion among the ‘worst failed states’ in the world. I believe however, that the country can be made to work again, as it was doing before and to become a great nation it was destined to be, and a leading state in the African continent and indeed the world. But for that to happen there has to be a change of leadership.”

       Great men and women of yesteryear were heroes of love.  Many of them who were leaders favoured the interest of the led: They put the people first. Unfortunately, things have changed: leaders of today do not have the interest of the masses at heart. Even the poor masses are in hurry to make ends means. And the enlightened ones among us are not courageous to speak the truth. So, by our way of life, we keep increasing the gap between us and God.

        Let us pray earnestly for God’s intervention to revive Nigeria, especially now that we are experiencing wanton killings, regular kidnapping, parents selling and raping their children, selling and buying of votes at elections and the Federal Government’s attitude of indifference in these circumstances.  

     The Catechism in a year (67) answered the question, “For what purpose did God create man and woman?” It says, “God has created everything for them, but He has created them to know, serve and love God, to offer the entire world in thanksgiving back to Him and to be raised up to life in heaven. Only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of the human person come into true light. Man and woman are predestined to reproduce the image of the Son of God made Man who is the perfect ‘Image of the invisible God.” Col. 1:15.   

     Mathew 6:31-33 says, “So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the kingdom of God and with what He requires of you, and He will provide you with all these other things.”

       We are conscious of the fact that God has done great things for us irrespective of our sins. Hence we do not have to join the crowd and wander away from God. If you can’t beat them, must you join them like they did to Jesus on Good Friday? Let us identify with Jesus Christ Our Savior who was wounded for our transgressions, bore our infirmities, paid in full our penalty to ransom and redeem us. Yes! He took the form of man and died for us to lead us to His Father, Our Father.

      In appreciation for what God has done for us let us truly repent for the sins we have committed and wait anxiously to meet Jesus during His second coming. As we wait on Him, let us love one another as He loves us. “Love one another as I have loved you.” Jn 15:12. The earlier we change for good, the better, because no one knows the end of time: it could be today or tomorrow!