By Fr Pat Amobi Chukwuma
I attended a spiritual and hilarious ceremony a few days ago in the capital city of the Light of the Nation. It was richly populated. The vehicles parked outside were so numerous that there was no space left. One of the guests magically suspended his automatic car on the air. It became a side attraction. After the church spiritual and unique ceremony, the automatic car owner pressed a button on his remote control mechanism.
The car came down systematically while everybody was watching. He drove off like a land aeroplane. Wherever there is a traffic jam, the automatic car flies over the stationery vehicles, comes down and speeds off again. I wish that I shall win a lottery to purchase such a dream vehicle.
The next item on the programme was the reception of guests. We entered a banquet hall which was attractively decorated. I started salivating when I saw the contents of the general table. Rice, stew, fried chicken, goat meat, dog meat, beef, local salad, foreign salad, ice cream, ice water and assorted drinks were very plenty. There was no presence of ‘Ask Me’. Therefore, the ‘Serve Yourself’ method was employed.
I collected a plate of mixed menu and went to a vacant seat. I interacted with old and new faces. As my eyes were circulating all over the banquet hall, I saw an old colleague and carried my food and sat beside him. We exchanged pleasantries. During the course of our eating and discussion, he exclaimed, “I am wounded!” I glanced over his exposed body parts to see the wound but didn’t. I asked him to show me the wound. He told me that it was an internal wound.
Then, I asked him, “Are you bleeding?” He replied, “I am bleeding internally. You will not understand. It is not a physical, but a psychological wound.” I recommended him to urgently see a psychologist for diagnosis and healing. He laughed and said sarcastically, “You will not understand.” Finally, I chipped in: “Do not die in silence!”
I remembered a popular native doctor from Nibo in Awka South Local Government who had a clinic in Nibo and in Enugu. His motto was: “Why die in silence?” He lived long and did not die in silence. He died at a good old age and was shouting when he was dying. So, when the time of your death comes, sing and shout so that you do not die in silence! But before that, write your will and send me a copy for documentation in my Wit’s Corner.
Many wounded Nigerians are bleeding and dying in silence. No wonder many are slumping and dying here and there. Some days ago, a popular dramatic artist from Abia State known as “Nwaanyi Garri” slumped and died silently while performing on stage. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where the medical director confirmed her clinically dead. It was reported that she had been bleeding internally as a result of psychological wound inflicted on her from within and without.
Recently, while on my routine walking exercise, I came across a wounded victim who was walking in front of me. After a short distance, he slumped and was shouting, “Hunger! Hunger!! Hunger!!!.” Instantly, I rushed to him for first aid. When I was pulling him up from the ground, he nearly bit off my right fingers because he thought it was meat. I needed no soothsayer to tell me that he was wounded by extreme hunger. His strength failed him and he slumped.
I asked a boy who rushed to the scene to buy me a big loaf of bread and a bottle of Coca Cola. Immediately he perceived the taste of the two delicacies, he opened his eyes and grabbed the big loaf and coca cola. He ate them in haste like in an eating competition. After the speedy consumption, he laughed and shouted, “Where am I?” The onlookers laughed. I answered him, “Oga, you are in Nigeria. Take it easy.”
This is not the only case. Numerous citizens of this purported Giant of Africa are wounded by hunger and are dying daily in silence. Hunger is a silent killer.
Many people are wounded by worsening insecurity in the country. The uncountable victims are grievously wounded and are bleeding profusely. Hardly can one sleep nowadays with two eyes closed. Personally, I have formed the habit of sleeping with my two eyes open.
If you want to learn it, just come with one cup of pepper for washing your eyes. Blood is flowing like water here and there. It has happened in Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Borno, Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Kwara, Nassarawa, Zamfara, kaduna, Sokoto, and almost in all other states, including Abuja, the Capital Territory.
Indeed, there is no safe haven nationwide. Where shall we run to? There is fire on the mountain! The terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, etc., are on the loose. Human life has been devalued. It is such that the price of a sizeable fowl in the market today costs higher than devalued human life. The other day, I asked my houseboy to catch a fowl offered in the church and kill for our lunch and supper. I helped him to pursue it. In the process, something strange happened.
The fowl became fierce and developed frightening eyebrows. It turned and started pursuing us. I and my houseboy ran inside the house and shut the door for safety. The fowl began to bark like a dog and was jumping up and down.
My people say that if you get up in the morning and a fowl starts to pursue you, run for your dear life because you do not know if it developed teeth at night. Wonders shall never end. Nigeria, we hail thee!
Some Nigerians are wounded psychologically by the powers that be. Psychological wound is worse than physical wound. They bleed profusely and internally when the source of their livelihood is tampered with or destroyed out of wickedness.
This foreseeable psychological wound can be healed by adequate consultation and compensation. Some government officials issue license to entrepreneurs to construct business premises. Often when those businesses begin to boom, the owners are given quick notice to vacate to nowhere.
Sometimes those business premises packed with costly commodities are demolished overnight without notice and compensation. Many victims had thereby contracted indelible wound and bleeding that led to their untimely demise. A doctor who specializes in willful killing of his patients is a dent to the medical profession. He should be stripped of his license and jailed for life or hanged on the stake. Government exists for the welfare of the citizens and not for their detriment.
The bad policies of state or federal government can inflict a great wound on the citizenry. The poor masses are seriously wounded by the sudden removal of fuel subsidy, which was done without cushioning its side effects. The devaluation of the Naira caused a deep wound of inflation.
The cost of basic foodstuffs has risen to the sky. Many people are bleeding while many have died. Waiting for the result of a long economic policy is a death sentence. How can a hungry person wait endlessly for food? He might have kicked the bucket before the food arrives at table. Hunger wounds. Hunger causes uncontrollable bleeding. Hunger kills.
The renewed hope of the present Federal Government metamorphosed into renewed hardship. When John the Baptist was languishing in prison, he sent some of his disciples to Jesus Christ to ask him, “Are you the expected Messiah or shall we wait for another?” (Luke 7:20). Jesus told them to go back and tell John what they saw. The lame walked.
The blind saw. The sick got healed. The dead rose. Action speaks louder than words. Likewise, should we expect the Nigerian political messiah now or in 2027? Bad leadership causes deep wounds and uncontrollable bleeding. Nepotism should give way to federal character for the dividends of democracy to thrive. A stitch in time saves nine!
