THE RESTORERS OF NIGERIA’S BROKEN WALLS: Matters Arising

The Baptist Church Denomination have come of age especially in Nigeria. When the missionaries arrived this country, their focus was to preach the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Having noted the terrain and what will make it easy for the pushing of the gospel, they embarked on the establishment of Primary and Secondary Schools including Seminaries for the training of pastors. Today, Baptist School Orerokpe, Baptist Seminary Eku all in delta state, Baptist School of Theology Benin City, Nigeria Baptist Seminary Ogbomosho to mention but a few are still existing.

To say that the Baptist denomination have contributed to the development of this country is an understatement. Other churches like Catholic, Anglican, Methodist also played the role of the Baptist denomination. The second Sunday of February has come and gone but the happenings on this day will not be forgotten. Arriving in a city in Nigeria at 8am, I was faced with a centrally located Baptist Church and I decided to join the congregation for the morning service before embarking on another long hour journey. Stepping into the expansive hall I immediately sat close to a woman and her children but the female usher did not give me a breathing space.

Please you are not meant for that sit today sir was her low voice and I immediately followed her to the front seat. Today is Men Mission Union sir was her conclusion. I looked around only to discovered that all the men are in the central roll and calmly I took my seat.

A panel of discussant made up of four men were invited to discuss the topic, “RESTORERS OF BROKEN WALLS”. In Nehemiah 1 details Nehemiah, a Jewish cupbearer in Susa, receiving news that Jerusalem’s walls are broken and the survivors are in distress.

Deeply moved, he fasts, mourns, and prays, confessing the sins of Israel and asking God for mercy and success in speaking to King Artaxerxes. As the panel were busy discussing the topic, my mind went to Nigeria, a country that was once the pride of the world.

A country whose problem at a time was what to do with the nation’s money. Years ago, a principal of a secondary school is appointed to supervise his own school yet cheating will not occur.

Today Nigeria walls has broken and there is no hope that the value of this once celebrated nation will be restoring soon. I just read that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission suspended one of its legal prosecutor due to bribing. Since 1999 the walls of Nigeria have broken into pieces and still going into pieces’ courtesy of treasury looters all over the country. Once they are arrested they blackmail and continue to paint the agency black so that they can get the sympathy of the judiciary.“

These guys didn’t come to govern, they came to enrich themselves, pure and simple. We are different people. So it should not surprise anybody that knows me and knows Tinubu to see that we are parallel lines that will never meet,” he said.——Mallam El- Rufai. Immediately the services ended I walked out, catch a cab and headed to the garage for the continuation of my journey. For about six hours the topic resurrects in my mind. There is no year we will not hear of budgets in Nigeria running into trillions of naira but driving along federal roads in Nigeria reveal the extent of the country’s broken walls, the fund having been looted.

All the streets in Nigeria are now home to hotels courtesy of stolen fund while duplexes adorn all corners with stolen fund. In Nigeria our broken walls have affected the hospitals to the extent that today a president and governors in Nigeria including ministers all run to London hospitals for the treatment of urine and cough.

Members of the national assembly, state and judiciary has no business with the country hospitals while the Nigeria security apparatus is in disarray. With Nigeria’s broken walls terrorists have conquered our military while bunkers have also taken over the water ways. Nigeria have lost many military and police personnel in the hands of Boko Haram. On a daily basis the walls rather than get them mended consumed many Nigerians courtesy of killings and killings by terrorists.Years ago, the Nigeria Defence Academy plays host to military personnel from all part of the world undergoing military training in this prestigious institution but today the walls of this academy have broken into pieces. What happens to the prestigious Police College Ikeja? This was once the pride of the country but today it is written off courtesy of broken walls.

The Ahmadu Bello University, University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria Nssuka, University of Benin, University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Institute of Management Technology Enugu to mention but a few were once pride of the nation but not now again. Our elections have become cash and carry and no one is ready to rebuild the broken walls. In the area of honesty and integrity the walls are not even there not to talk of broken walls. As I have always say the walls of this great nation has finally broken down but it can still be rebuild if we are serious about it.

The first step in rebuilding the broken walls is to kill all those who stole government money since 1999 having been found guilty by a competent court presided over by only retired judges. Such cases should be completed within three months to Supreme Court. Those found guilty and their family should face firing squad as once melted to armed robbers in the country but without this we are in a hopeless situation.Joseph Esivwenughwu is the former Chairman of Okuetolor Community Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State Nigeria