127 YEARS OLD BIBLE.
By Political Animal
When I watched President Joe Biden taking the oath of office using his family Bible that had been with them for 127 years,I then understood his speech.
But my heart was bleeding for my nation Nigeria and the entire leadership make-up.
If his family kept such a treasure with hope that someday one of his desendants will use it similarly, then ,are we still in doubt of God’s faithfulness.
GREAT SPEECH WITH EMOTIONS.
Joe Biden made the greatest speech of his life and one of the most important political speeches that I have ever heard as I was watching him yesterday.
Not the regular boring speeches we hear from our leaders over the years.
For those who were watching like me, if you didn’t find it emotional, you were not listening hard enough, or fully comprehending the significance of what he was saying.
RESPECTFUL SILENCE FOR DEAD CITIZENS.
When Biden asked for a few moments of respectful silence and prayer for the 400,000 Americans who have lost their lives to coronavirus,
my heart was bleeding for Nigeria that doesn’t even know how many of her citizens that are dying daily.
He was showing those victims and their grieving families a shred of real empathy, unlike what has been going on in Nigeria,the uncountable daily killings and deaths.
THE HEART OF A MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT TRAGEDY MEANS.
This came from a man who knows so much about the tragedy of losing a loved one like me.
A man whose first wife and baby daughter were killed in a car crash as he was about to become a Senator.
A man who suffered another devastating, crushing blow when his beloved son Beau died from brain cancer in 2015.
A man who has had to bury two of his own children.
Joe Biden understands what death means, and the appalling toll it takes on families. He has been there, mourned there and stood by the gravesides.
IT DIDN’T START TODAY.NOT POLITICS NOR PRETENSE.
Many years ago,
he comforted the parents whose kids were slain in the Sandy Hook massacre.
His words, his hugs, and his tears were all so very real because he was coming from a place of deep agonising personal experience.
THE DIFFERENCE.
So, when he called for that silence and bowed his head in prayer, he stepped up to repair the appalling damage done by his predecessor who never gave a stuff about what the virus was doing to Americans ,
but only cared about what it was doing to his chances of re-election.
WHO WILL PUT HIS ARMS AROUND US?
Who will put his arms around grieving Nigerians.
Biden was putting his arms around grief-stricken America and saying: ‘I hear you, I’m here for you and I know what you’re going through.’
It was spell-blindingly authentic and convincing because we all know he does.
Crucially, his arms also extended to those who hate his guts; the kind of people who feel so enraged by his election victory that they stormed the US Capitol two weeks ago in a violen behest of their spiritual leader .
COURAGE BEYOND CRISES.
Vice President Kamala Harris on her part said that the historic turmoil that took place two weeks ago should not stop Americans trying to improve their country.She implored the nation to have courage to see beyond crisis.
The question is where is leadership in Nigeria?
I am not one of those on social media platforms to be loved or liked.
I have enough love from God.
I enjoy my ministry and sickle-cell advocacy.
I am not a political brand promoter,I can only speak on national issues if I am led to.
THERE IS ALSO POVERTY IN AMERICA.
America has almost 20 million people living in extreme poverty,it is like the whole of Lagos scrounging from dustbin to dustbin for food.But they have hope as long as they have good leaders.
Nigeria has much more than that figure ,the difference is that they have no hope except in God.
THE FEAR OF GOD AND LEADERSHIP.
The fear of God is supposed to be a check upon those that are in power to restrain them from abusing their power to oppression and tyranny.
Those that have no one else to stand in awe of, ought to stand in awe of their own consciences.
THE TRENDING NEWS.
As I wake up every day by the mercy of God for the past 10 years,
I don’t really have to search much to find out what news is trending in Nigeria.
There are permanent news items trending every day like:
…Recent attacks have at least killed…..
… terrorists carrying out attacks in almost all the local government areas.
….some kidnappers carried out attacks and kidnappings.
…ransoms were paid in millions by family members.
….no ransom paid according to the police.
…the most recent attacks have claimed and have killed at least…..
…. people kidnapped in dozens,and destroyed several properties during an ambush on the highway.
… details remain unclear and fatality figures may rise to …
….most attacks took place in northern part…..
….there has been an increase in insurgent attacks and killings.
…be vigilant, remain alert and pay attention to your surroundings at all times avoid regular patterns of travel or movement and aim to travel during daylight hours.
WE NEED LOVING AND CARING LEADERSHIP ARMS.
When shall we have leaders who will see our bleeding hearts?
When shall we have leaders who will put their arms arround grief-stricken Nigerians?
This is a billion dollar question?
Since we cannot in all honesty say “WHEN AND WHO”,
WHAT TO DO!!
Let us begin to build communities of positive and happy people . Nobody can make us happy unless we make ourselves.
That being the case, enough of us having islands of “negative sense” here and there, all over the six geopolitical zones, in pockets and a sea of careless leadership with blood in their hands.
We shall not drown with them and should not allow them to force us down the sea bed of depression.
LET THE HONEST UNITE.
People who stop at red lights, airports,buses, and so on and so forth and return money that doesn’t belong to them must come together and separate themselves from those who think that stealing is just the way of service.
THE YOUTHS AND HARDWORK.
MKO ABIOLA said: ” Hard work is prayer in action….”
Let us re-echo this to the younger generation .
Let us drum this up in the ears of our children on this principle ,that hard work is the best and surest way to success,and not Yahoo-yahoo ,in order to compete with the children of those who are in power or authority.
We must tell them that they also need hardwork to retain success.
May God bless and secure us in Nigeria,if no one else does.
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The Political Animal 