In maximizing seasons of life in order not to fall prey to the subtle whims of contemporary societal machinations, one has to look deeper than the surface in order to glean the voice of Wisdom communicating from within us, as our navigational compass. The inherent voraciousness in our appetite for social media at the expense of the voice of discernment seeking expression from within us, is proof that the climate of our souls is smeared by obnoxious realities beyond comprehension. Not without taking cognizance of the fact that we live in a world where morality and values consciousness have become overshadowed by selfishly concocted ambitions which temporarily pacify the soul at the cost of the ideal.
Conspiracies upon conspiracies are being uncovered daily and with the compromised, playing blind to the connections. The rise of the BRICS with its pleasant promises for nations who have been centuries-long plagued by the stench of post-colonial victimization, gives a vague promise of utopia, with colonialist political leaders, finding themselves a “respite” in sheer hypocrisy, yet assuming that the masquerade of retribution has finally been laid to rest.
While Western Countries seem to have wittingly or unwittingly relinquished power to their Eastern counterparts, the threat of war as a means to destabilize and restabilize the global economic landscape has been stemmed by the just concluded US Elections; with the winner Donald Trump being an anti-war president: thanks to the efforts and purposeful will of the Prophets, Patroits and Socio-political as well as Economic juggernauts whose decision to redeem their Nation with an unparalleled effort such as has not been seen in a long time. This has once again reset the balance of the scales of geopolitical influence.
Leaders who have celebrated the fall of the United States of America, and who have thought that the Russo-China stance was the path to go with, may have to rethink their geopolitical allegiance. While many assume that the economic domination of eastern nations in recent times is beneficial to Africa due to media hype and their undoubtedly robust innovative stride across all sectors, those of us who have our ears in the rural rich communities of Africa, understand that the greatest threat to the effective and efficient management of our natural resources, is the subtle incursion of several alien and clandestine investment apparatus manifesting as engineering, agronomic, technological and business firms littered all across the continent, who through the subtle compromise and collaboration of some of our political and traditional leaders, continually loot precious resources from our country and some others, to theirs, to our collective detriment.
As a result of the betrayal of the trust endowed our leaders by the citizens, taking my country Nigeria as a case study, the options have become fewer than ever in the minds of most people; it is simply Compromise or outright Rebellion against constituted authority. Hence the rise in the tide of internet fraud, compromised business standards with regards exploitation of our natural resources, a lack of zeal for consistency in the workplace leading to abrupt staff resignations and the falling apart of corporate institutions, an overemphasis on politics and public office rather than creating viable and sustainable institutions which can insure corporate society against destruction from within etc. These and much more have made the future seem bleak for most of the upcoming leaders, their delinquent engagements and ill-conceived fraternizations, and so the capacity to aspire towards greatness, noble aspirations and global relevance seems to be submerged in the quagmire of leadership distrust hence the call for national disintegration from several elements with their factional ideologies.
Discerning The Times
The recent non-violent move in the United States of America towards the restoration of that great Nation, is a case study worth brooding over. From the rise of genuine Prophets with non-denominational biases in their prophetic expressions, to the unravelling of Patriots who had conquered the quest for selfish gains and were willing to so much as go to prison for the sake of their unanimous belief in the restoration of the dignity of their Nation, to righteous media hosts and influencers in the entertainment industry and even to economic gurus like Elon Musk and several others behind the scenes, who were willing to go the extra mile in funding some righteous movements, together they made a difference and altered the course of history.
As I brood over all of these, I realize that there is a dire need to forge such a climate in our own country, which should become “The Resistance”; otherwise, we risk losing our status before God and man as “The Giant of Africa”.
I know for certain that there is a growing dissatisfaction with the current political leadership trajectory, as it seems visionless and directionless. History has taught us that the concept of Nigeria was a western experiment which our forebears came to accept, as is also some other countries on the continent of Africa. However, the ethnocentric expressions reflected in appointments into strategic positions across the three arms of Government across the country, further reinforces the fact that the spirit of patriotism is lacking in our leadership orientation, and this of course, further fuels the growing discontent in the hearts and minds of future leaders all across board.
The Mobilization
In one of his articles, Morris Ruddick, the founder of Global initiatives foundation wrote: Combined authority that brings change will reflect the mind-set of commitment and sacrifice commensurate with a war-time setting, which is the reality of the spiritual atmosphere of our day. It reflects God’s people laying aside personal issues to make a difference with matters that truly count. In other words, the level of shared maturity will be that which majors in the major things rather than the distractions and wheel-spinning of minor issues.
I believe his words are so true and woven into the fabric of our contemporary reality. Even though in our case as a nation, we’ve been victims of a social and institutional curriculum which reinforces our enslavement to the colonialists. However, at this point in time with all the information and knowledge available to us, and with the advent of the internet in the information era, such an excuse only becomes a justification for the comfort of slavery as against the principle of collective responsibility.
May we discern the wind of the Spirit within and yield to that subtle quickening, even as everyone must take their place in this army of reformation with courage awaiting the starter gun. The promised land is just a few miles ahead, we are that close to it.
Emmanuel Sam