Publisher's Synopsis
.... In the deep valley we are now as a nation, we have chosen the Palestinian method of development. We have chosen to see our citizens cluster around one man or woman as political thugs, hired assassins, unskilled laborers, drivers and other classes of minions for their daily meals. We have chosen to see our children, the future leaders, remain in slave bondages from generation to generation. Otherwise the daily campaign to reach the less privilege by the leaders and any other person with a little kobo in his or her pocket will not be the fad of the moment. Every one you speak to during interview will quickly spill the silly refrain: I want to reach the less privilege, I want to give something back to the masses. And when they go out for such celebrated silly journeys, like excited monkeys, they line up vintage cars (other people's brain work, of course), put the head lamps of their vehicles on full blast and with a multitude of security details, oppress the same masses into submission.Now we are in a valley. Not shallow valley but a very deep one. No miracle can bring us out of this valley even if every Nigerian becomes a man of God. For one thing, we have become a people who neither know God nor ready to seek repentance. Our crass acquisition and display of great abundance in the midst of grueling poverty; our eagerness to honour the criminal and sacrifice the innocent; our rush to spill blood in order to cover our evil track record, and our eagerness to call upon the name of God as believers, is a clear demonstration that we do not really know God. It is only when we have realized our mistakes and feels truly sorry about it that we can expect repentance. When we have closed our eyes with thick scales, the reality of our mistakes will never reach us. Even if every house becomes a prayer house, the fact remains that we do not know God. Even if we use hot iron as it was done to the slaves in the past, to rebrand any Nigerian who just mouths the usual refrain of the unbeliever, I am a born again, the valley of our present standing will continue to grow deeper as long as we are neither eager nor interested to seek the true face of God. It is certainly funny to note that in this moment of rebrand fever, billions of naira frauds are happening. And I tell you the solemn truth, as these billions of new fraud cases are uncovered every hour from the same people who sing the praises of a new Nigerian, then it follows that our journey is unto perdition, not unto salvation.
