And there I was thinking the Israelites under Moses were the “stiff necked” ones

The spate of comments that have been trending since last week commemorating the 2^nd anniversary of the demise of President Umar Musa YarÁdua have left me in a state of suspended animation. Yes indeed, I have been suspended in the disbelief at the sudden out pouring of emotions bordering on the ridiculous, with that of “Honest Nigerians” leading the pack with “2 Years After our REAL and HONEST President”.

I can’t help but wonder why we are such a Nation of twofaced Sissys? This same Nation of people that scored YarÁdua low on his seven point agenda; accusing him of being overwhelmed by it and eventually heaved a sigh of relief at the abrupt end of his tenure; are now the same set of people singing a different tune. 

Why are we such hypocrites?
The Israelites cried out under Pharaoh; were brought out of slavery to the wilderness to make their way to the Promised Land; yet at the sign of discomfort, they grumbled and became restive, yearning for the rich fare of Egypt even at the cost of their freedom.  Not one except a few among them was willing to pay the price of the “Desert Experience”. I guess after the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea, they expected Moses to “do a beam me up Scotty” and get them to the Promised Land by the wave of some magic rod, after all the same rod had been put to test on a couple of occasions and had passed muster. So stiff-necked where they, that their attitude drove Moses to such heights of anger that eventually cost him entry into the Promised Land.

I wonder what all the fuss was about, after all the Promised Land Visa after 400 hundred years of slavery and drudgery in Egypt did not come with a guarantee of “”Nowahala enroute”. No one said it would be easy for them just as I am sure no one said it would be easy for Nigerians in our ‘JOURNEY’ to lift ourselves out of the decay of several decades and ridding ourselves of the attendant baggage. The past few days have seen so many Nigerians yearn for the cucumber and tomatoes of the Egypt years. Too lily livered is the average Nigerian to brace up to the challenges of the wilderness.

This is not about unbridled support for GEJ, because this analogy involving Moses speaks volumes; as we know, Moses blazed the trail, but Joshua it was who led them into the Promised Land.

I remember OBJ’s coming was heralded by all and sundry as the last nail in the coffin of the Military Junta led leadership in the Country, some went as far as casting him in the mould of a latter day “Messiah”; the Moses who would finally take us to the Promised Land; (Not that the Abdulsalam Abubakar gap year was of no consequence O!; but we seem to have forgotten that prior to his tenure, Nigerians (not Foreigners) it was, who said Abacha should wear the cap because it fits; and were ready to install him Emperor over all he surveyed). Still on OBJ, it was no surprise when in the typical “NIGERIASQUE” way; he soon lost his appeal and suffered vilification. On the receiving end and resisting the lures of doing what African Despots have long been known for (perpetuating himself in Power). He gave us UMY in a move that has been open to different interpretations. 

UMY’s administration; though for the most part he battled ill health; came under heavy scrutiny as mentioned earlier.  As they say, the rest is history and today we have a GEJ led administration; one that has defied any kind of political permutation. An administration fraught with challenges from the start, whose antecedents are well documented in the annals of Nigerian history; an Administration that for want of a better description, was Divinely orchestrated; an administration that is being vilified because it’s not going according to our own schedule and rather than grow a “Backbone” and don some overalls and brainstorm the best ways to crank up our Nation’s Engine, all we do is moan and cry for the cucumber and tomatoes of Egypt.

I begin to wonder how many Moses’ will be sent our way before we get it? Are we so stiffnecked not to realise that we have for so long enabled the situation that now overwhelms us.

In our little countless ways we have enabled corruption and all the other challenges we expect our Moses to sort out at the wave of a wand. For so long we have relied on our puny human wisdom to FIX this Nation. I make bold to say that it’s about time we decided to actively seek for Divine Wisdom to FIX our Psyche, HEAL our NATION and set us on course permanently.

knows there might be a Joshua in the Horizon, but that is left for the Lord to decide. In the mean time let’s all do the needful.

In the meantime Fellow Nigerians; LET’S ALL LEARN TO GET OUR HANDS DIRTY AND TILL THE GROUND, TO SOW GOOD SEEDS THAT WILL YIELD GOOD FRUIT IN DUE SEASON.

OTBN

 Stay Rooted

OSA