“Not one naira in my money will ever enter into Nigeria again” was the lamentation in the mouth of my friend who has recently lost all of his investments to different people across Nigeria. He had just experienced another, “IKOYI”. His building did not crash—his investments were crashed by fraudulent Nigerians—who used him as baits to enrich themselves. My heart has been bleeding for the victims of the needless and unavoidable deaths of the Ikoyi Building disaster. Which nation ever progresses when her bests are cut down—needlessly and carelessly at their primes? They are cut down by kidnappers; they are cut down by armed robbers; they are cut down by terrorists; and they are cut down emotionally, financially, and physically by the endemic system of corruption in the land.
The strength of a nation is in its human capital. America is not great today because of the size of their land, but because of the quality of their people. But what is the name of this monster called? Corruption! Recently, I engaged another close friend in a heart-to-heart conversation—pleading with him to reverse his decision on his investment plans for Nigeria. What was his decision? I will never put one single dollar into Nigeria again, because I’ve lost all I have invested over the years.
Another one with a very strong international network of investors told me point blank, “they are bunch of time wasters and are very corrupt”. Of course, there is still a tiny remnant of honest people in Nigeria—but they are very tiny, and you need God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit to fish them out. No nation ever develops when dishonesty, lies, corner-cutting and corruption are the widespread values in the land. Personally, I have been defrauded times and again. Pastors have defrauded me. Family members have defrauded me. Friends have defrauded me. What I have experienced is enough impetus for me to give up on Nigeria—disconnecting from everything and everyone—except my immediate family members. But the love of God would not allow me, and my mandate as a leader would not pave the way for me to turn my back at the cries of millions of defenseless young people whose future depends on the messages and values a lot of people—including me are teaching and preaching.
If righteousness does not exalt Nigeria, nothing else will! Repeatedly and time and again, I have written countless articles that have equally been published on social media and on mainstream newspapers across Nigeria. What is wrong with being a Nigerian?
The land seller would sell lands that belong to other people to you, and would forge documents to validate his transaction and your ownership. Few days back, some friends visited us from another city. It was tales of woes. My mum was defrauded. My dad was defrauded. My sisters were defrauded. It was the same story of corruption and looting of their lands and assets by fellow Nigerians.
The mechanic guy would sell a fake part to you as genuine, and would vow his life on it as being original—only for your vehicle to give way to an avoidable breakdown on a day you desperately need it. The politician would beg and plead and cry in campaigns for vote, but with a stroke of the pen would sweep into his offshore account—the commonwealth of the same people who voted for him. The lecturer would demand sex as an exchange for success from students. My dad retired as a lecturer. No wonder, I carry his DNA in me—speaking, teaching and writing everyday and at every moment. Anyway, I invited him to visit us a couple of years back, and in one of those moments of heart-to-heart conversation with him, he began to reel out the unbelievable corrupt practices of his fellow lecturers in his former institutions—with the support of the top leadership of those institutions.
He told me how his colleagues would share all the funds allocated for equipping the students’ computer labs and how they would sell handouts to students at exorbitant prices with sex for grades on top of it as a bonus.
The immigration officers at our airports have become nightmares. When I travel to other parts of the world, I rarely plan or think so much about my trip. The ambience and peace that greet you upon arrival at Schipol International airport in the Netherlands are next to nothing. Same in other descent parts of the world that I have been. But the moment I plan to travel to Nigeria, headache, worries, excessive panicking and planning begin. And as you begin to arrive in the air at our airports, you would notice that you have just landed inside a different part of the world.
The pastor would lie, cheat, manipulate and still have the boldness and temerity to mount the pulpit to tell people, “touch not my anointed”? It is even much worse now in the church than in the larger society as the church that should be the light of the world has almost lost her voice and influence, “THE WORLD IS NOW THE LIGHT OF THE CHURCH”.
The list of our troubles is endless!
The Ikoyi disaster is the symptom of a much deeper problem, “corruption and dishonesty”. And except the God of heaven is a liar, and his word would not be applicable in the case of Nigeria would Nigeria prosper without some appreciable degrees of righteousness returning to the land—starting from the church and then distilling to the larger society.
The Ikoyi disaster is avoidable. The devil did not kill those people. The enemies from their fathers’ houses did not ruin their lives. The overarching values of our nation killed them. I heard some people condemn the builder, “If it were me, I would have stuck to the original design”. But many of them are much worse. In our marriages, do we stick to our original vows? In our places of work, do we stick to the policies and procedures of our employers? In our churches, do we follow the ways of Christ—to eschew evil and lead men in righteousness? At local, state and federal levels of governance, do our politicians stick to their oats of offices—to serve the people with truth and to promote justice and equity?
So, the Ikoyi disaster is not the problem—but a symptom of a much worse problem. Nigeria is a society that celebrates evil and denounces truth—both in the church and in the larger society. And if God will show us mercy, and the labors of our past heroes would not be in vain, righteousness must return to the land—starting from the church and distilling to the larger society. Truth must be absolute—and not relative—that is—it must be of the same color—regardless of family, culture, church denomination or political affiliation. Otherwise, much worse “Ikoyis” are still underway. The system is not the problem, but the people behind the system for every system is made by man.
“Righteousness exalts a nation—sin will bring shame to any people” (Proverbs 14:34)
Contact
Dr David Ayo Akerele
Founder, Voice of the Watchmen Ministries, Ontario, Canada
Director, Flock Keepers International (a leadership & value system development organization)
Email: ayoakerele2012@gmail.com
www.flockkeepers.com; www.larenj.ca
Instagram handle: ayoakerele
Facebook Page: Ayo Akerele
YouTube Channel: Dr Ayo Akerele
Twitter: ayolara
