YOUR VOTE IS A SPECIAL GIFT FROM GOD THROUGH WHICH HE ESTABLISHES AUTHORITY (GOVERNMENT) IT IS WICKEDNESS TO WASTE GOD'S TOOL

 

By

JF. Dabo

jubalfreeman4u@gmail.com

Imagine a man working for years to gather capital for his business when he eventually gathered after 18 years he was ready to invest, there were many businesses to invest in but he chose to invest in a particular one, his words, "I know this business will not prosper, I know it will fail but I agree to waste my capital in it because all the rest are bad..."

If I ask you to give a name to this investor you will call him most possibly a foolish investor right? You will be right because even Investor Sabinus will be wiser than this. But before you pass your judgement listen; the investor there is a Nigerian Voter, the Capital is his vote and the businesses the different canditadtes he has to vote from.

Your vote is a talent, it is thesame as a capital for investment. For those of us who are Christians you read in the Parable of the talents (also called the Parable of the Minas) found in two of the synoptic, canonical gospels of the new testament (Matthew 25:14–30 and Luke 19:11–27) in that parable the servant who is called "wicked and lazy servant" wasn't  so called because he squandered the bag of coins that was given to him but because he failed to invest it where it will yield fruits.

The first common thing about that servant and the Nigerians saying they will waste their votes is that they both sound angry, as recorded in verse 24 & 25 of the Mathew's account of the parable the servant reply thus to his master... " ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you."

This brings us to the second common thing between this servant and the Nigerian voters shouting "we will rather waste our votes" they both channel their anger negatively. In nation building one feature of those who change things for better is that THEY ARE ANGRY PEOPLE, they get angry at the system but they are different because their anger guides them into taking positive steps like getting involved and being part of the system where  they have the opportunity to radically change the bag about the system that angers them. They are smart even in situations where they have no good to choose from they settle for one that has an opening for them to cash in, squeeze through and gradually begin steering the system to the right direction.

The third common thing about them both is that they all loose at the end, it feels alright for them because from the start failure was what they chose. See what the servant got in the parable, in verse 28 of the same Mathew's account the master commanded “...take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags..." They will always loose and in their loosing they will enrich the richest. They are those who continually increase the poverty of the poor and the wealth of the wealthy. If he had invested the one bag, he would have had one bad extra and a promise of more like the other two servants. If only they invest and not wast their votes they will have a place to bargain for good to be done or a justification to criticize when the wrong is repeated.

As I close, the book of James 1:17 tells us that "every gift is from God" and part of Romans 13:1 Says, "...for there is no authority except that which God has established" and his command to us in Genesis 1:28 is "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion..." Your right to vote is a free gift from God through which he the Lord uses your thumb to establish authority and through the right use of your thumb you participate in the mandate of goodness finding fruition and dominion over the earth. When you say you will waste your vote you mean you will waste both God's gift and God's tool of establishing the right Government. I am not telling you to vote anybody, I am telling you that if in your heart you know that a candidate is not going to win and you resolve to cast your vote just to waste it, verily I say on to you YOU ARE A REPLICATION OF THAT SERVANT THAT NOT I BUT THE BIBLE CALL "WICKED..." SERVANT.

Where there are 14 bad people, there is one relatively good or one whose badness is not hopeless. One thing that is bad bout the 2023 general elections is the candidature of same faith, it is so bad because Nigeria can never be stable under same faith ticket, not because the party or candidate is bad but because they made a wrong calculation which may not be intentional but because they actually didn't see the danger in it of which you cannot blame them but you MUST NOT join establishing that consuming fire too. If you fear to attempt establishing a mixed faith ticket in Kano, Sokoto, Borno, Bauchi, Zamfara, Jigawa, you should imagine what a same faith ticket in the entire nation will be given our already existing religious hostilities. 

Take into consonance too our complex nature as a country where the entire 7 states that make up the North West today run a Muslim-Muslim Governorship ticket, in the 6 states of the North East apart from Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba with mixed ticket all others have Muslim-Muslim Governorship ticket,  in the 6 North Central States you have 2 (Benue and Plateau) with Christian-Christian Governorship ticket, and 4 with Muslim-Muslim Governorship tickets,  in the 6 states of the South West you have a mixed ticket except in 2 states with Christian-Christian Governorship ticket, in the 6 South South States and 5 South East state you have all Christian-Christian Governorship tickets.  Making 11 state with Muslim-Muslim Governorship ticket,  15 state operating Christian-Christian ticket and  10 States operating a Mixed (4 Christian-Muslim and 5 Muslim-Christian) tickets. Being a nation where religious intolerance remains high with this statistical revelations you think a same faith ticket is anything less than a bomb to this nation when states that are Christian higher no Muslim can be deputy, states that are Muslim higher no Christian can be deputy and states that are appreciably mixed it is always mixed ticket otherwise tension is high and you want to operate I same faith ticket in this nation with three "tense" pillars? This is the reason why I will only tell you in this NO TO SAME FAITH TICKET.

#2023_VoteWISELY

REMOVE THE BLINDFOLD AND SEE THE ACHIEVEMENTS YOU NEVER SEEM TO SEE

Nigerians

keep lamenting about the pains of the present, they have cursed the day they voted out PDP and in APC. Some have cursed their thumps though I expect to see one who would cut off his thump all invain. In the court of public opinion, the present administration is judged a failure and a good number that have been heard says the present administration is a mistake they would never repeat. And Nigerians just keep crying and crying. I recall in hest the days of the 'higgy hagger' when the campaign drums where loud and each danced the tune he loves best, and it was so sweet and awesome. Change and Transformation they both sounded. Today we have achieved the change and the transformation is ungoing but no one that have been loudly heard seem to accept the fact of this achievements. This simply shows our myopic out look at things that really concerns us.

If I were a church man I know I would not contest the fact that my most sacred book would say 'all that God does is wonderful'. Can you imagine!! I think the church men should tell us the truth if what they preach us is not really true we should be allowed to enjoy this life and expect whatever the future holds because sadly they too join in the senseless outlook at what is prevailing with a negative goggles. They have told us to face challenges as the necessary bridge we must cross as they keep calling us to carry the cross with joy as it is the only way, sadly these too have helped in building this sense in us that seem to say hopelessness is the only thing we have now. They like the careless of the rest of all have failed to see the hand of God in what is happening at present. Possibly they too have falling to the grip of the pains and have balanced on the fleshy bank that they join in the song of lamentation when in fact they should be the moses of this Exodus. It was funny when I received a call that announced to me the policy that demands for #15,000 naira deposit from a friend of mine before baptism could be done ... '. Christianity for sale you could call that. Sure if it has reached this way, anything, everything and even the unexpected can be expected.

Again the Muslims are not left behind in this out cry, they have publicly cursed their own (the first of it kind in Nigeria). Well for my part that is an achievement for now I see the monster of religious, rigional, tribal ... Sentiments bow down to a realty that bedeviles us. At least for the first time we have a common ground to stand on, both are faced with same challenge and we can now reason together. It is a shift from the norm that have placed every Muslim or Islamist at the advantage above any other Nigerian especially in the North. If for no reason, the Christians in the North have the just duty to confirm this claim as true. For the first time altleast on an appreciable standard there is a shift from that all thanks to the Chanji dole that we now curse. I know you know too the pains that minority groups have had to endure all through history. I know you know through history we have not had a good number of Muslims stand against any of her blood that is occupaying any public office even if he were the Nigerian Hitler. It has always been 'Na su Nasune'. And now, the table has turn and we still cannot see. I laugh each time I read from bloggers who share how Buhari is hated even in his state. I care less if such is true, if it is true 'toh wallahi DA gaske' change is home.

Those who over time have logically and objectively followed my pieces of literature would affirm that from time I have never been a party dog as I go with the candidate that I feel best even if Shakau where his party chairman. This piece you should agree with me is not a way of gratifying or exunerating Buhari or APC, I have no reason to at least non of you have heard my appointment to any political office, again it is not a way of painting PDP or any party or person(s) black, at least you were not told of my arrest by the PDP government. All am saying is I have no reason to hate or love any I am only carrying out the task of letting Nigerians know how ungrateful we have become and how we have covered our eyes from objecrively seeing reality. This is born out of the fear that we are soon to return back to our once unwanted home.

THE PROBLEM WITH CHANGE
We have no problem from the word go with each other, the problem only came shortly after the elections. That problem is with the defination of the word 'change'. It is clear APC had her definition of the word change while myself and other Nigerians had our own individual definition of the word. I recall clearly at the early stage of the campaign I said in a post at Gurara Forum that "we would need to ask APC what change she is offering us as we would also need to ask PDP what transformation she mean to offer us", this was so said because I noticed the diversities in the definitions of the various slogans. If APC, PDP and Nigeran's had a uniform definition of the two slogans we would not have experienced this dark age with much misunderstanding as now. But APC had her own definition that by my assessment through her policies now seem to suggest a sanitation exercise. To most Nigerians like music star Olamide, all the change they ever wanted was a vacation for PDP and the emergence of a new ruling party as we listen in Olamide's song "APA, APC, APC, APC Bihari and Osibanjo na the change we want". To others it was a Change that would come and send many looters on the run as we would listen to in the popular Hausa song " Masu gudu su gudu". To people like me the change we defined was one that would come and plead to the conscince of Nigerians to return what is Nigerian's, a Change that would guide Nigerians toward forgetting the ugly past, redefind the Nigerian mind towards a new start. A change that would redefined the history of Nigeria with very little reference to the past. For my kind this change Knows no arresting and prosecuting but a plea for patriotism and a trust on posterity.
As we can clearly see there is a difference on the understanding of the change needed. Now, let us be sincere to ourselves, it is by our definition of change that this regret arises. Clearly we both presumed and we now reap the rich harvest.

ANY ACHIEVEMENT RECORDED?
Apart from the fact with the problem of defination, Nigerians are just ungrateful, inpatient and lack focus when she says there is nor gain in voting this government. Any one that would say this administration is a total failure is insincere, ungrateful, unnecessarily wicked or is just not ready for a better Nigeria. I am a 1987 born having no good romance with history but as early as 2004 I already knew the problem with Nigeria
 It is not as if Nigeria do not know the solution to her problems, rather, it is that no one is bold enough to be the agent of that solution, no one is ready to bear the challenges that accompanies such a change. That is because most that know this solution knows well that the challenges with it are bigger given the nature of Nigerians. They will throw stones, rain curses, humiliate, frustrate and do any other thing possible to stop that solution from coming home. I do not know if any body sensed the way and manner the military Obasanjo handed over power, I do not know if any one reads anything in Good luck's withdrawal from the removal of fuel subsidy. You see Nigerians just past through events without learning from them. Little wonder the politicians were able and are able to play over Nigeria with such ease and with no resistance.

From what is going on we can see that Nigerians expected a miraculous president and not the one they have in Buhari. We all love that changes, we want things to be better but no one whats to be part of that change process.

.............watch out for next: the hand of God in Change.............

22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (HUMILITY SUNDAY) AN ECONOMIST BUT PHILOPHER'S VIEW OF HUMILITY

By
Jubal Free-man Dabo

Today's Gospel reading of the Roman Catholic Church dwells on practical humility in our daily dealings.  Jesus calls us to be humble first, then we would be exulted.

Man's life is moderated by to spirit,  a humble spirit and proud spirit.  The pride we talk of here is that accompanied by arrogance.  The kind that makes you belittle everyone and make yourself a Lord over all. Pride they say presupposes a fall. Little wonder the call for all to be humble. I shall be an economist here though a philosopher by training.

PRIDE
Pride I concieve to mean being where one wants to be even before getting there.
This will mean self glorification, purches of praise and more of deceit. Self coronation with vain glory and emptiness soon to explore.
 Pride I see also to be a sure path to to humiliation and disgrace. Or simply put, the act of being where one is yet to reach.

HUMILITY
Humility from my point of view is being were want should be. It is the virtue of accepting who and what one is as a means to where and what one wants. Humility by this will for instance mean; a classroom teacher at the classroom teaching when he should and not at the Education Secretary's office seeking for favours when he should be in class.
It will also mean accepting one's limitations.

It is clear by this defination that a proud man can not reach his worth. For instance, if his pride raises him to a good status in the society it means he should by then be at the best.
In another dimension, it will mean that since he is already at the place even before he merits it, he cannot in truth be there. And his being there is already a humiliation taking him slowly down because though he is there he is not there. He does not blend in.
Imagine taking the place of honour at an event you are invited among others only to realize that you need to shift for a more honourable fellow than you are. Though you wilk still be at the high table but with you at heart is the feel of that humiliation, though the most honourable may say "no maintain the place I am ok here" to mean he will be at the less honourable place where you should be, it will still be the worst because deep down within you is the fact that you know you are not where you should be.

PRIDE COST US WHAT HUMILITY SAVES US
Let us now be the economists peoper. Do you know that what pride costs you is what humility saves you? With pride you are always spending much more than you earn. To be where kings are I most spend as kings spend. I should dress like them, drive there kind of cars, in public I must eat what the eat. This will quickly mean that it is easy to be proud but hard to maintain pride while it is difficult to be humble but easy to maintain humility.
Against this background, tell me how a proud civil servant that earns #25, 000 and lives like a politician can save or be able to invest reasonably within 5 years of working days. Most certainly among other factors this is why most cannot save nor invest. This is why most keep buying stuffs and not needs.
The difference between a successful man and a failure is the degree of pride in them. The humble man is able to spend and remain while the proud man spend and borrow, he buys in advance and die a deptor. Have you ever imagined why a primary school teacher is able to own a house before he retires while a politician, secondary school Teacher, or a fellow primary school teacher with far more earnings than the other primary school teacher is unable to complete his building or not having any plan at all? It is because the man with the hause was able to be humble enough to know what kind of house he can build and is able to spend enough to remain some for a house.

IT IS A CAGE THE GLORY OF PRIDE
It is more terrible not to be humbled early in your pride. Pride cages its victim to an extend that he becomes a slave to even the little ones. With pride you are a prisoner at thesame time the jailer, with the keys to your cell in you hands you still remain caged. Remember I said above that it is difficult to maintain pride. To maintain u
Your relevance as a proud fellow you must earn enough to spend on the humble and humbled. You must eat less to feed more, you must be an enemy to yourself and friend to your opposers. You must marry frustration and pretend to be happy even in the most boiling part of the water pot.
Your glory is your doom with pride, you only survive it when you choose to state all over again and by ten your equal are Lords. This means that one step forward in pride is ten or more steps backward.

ALWAYS A FAILURE WITH PRIDE BUT A VICTOR WITH HUMILITY

With pride you are always down but with humility you are always up. The proud may be amist kings but he will always be the one slave. He will have to save them to be with them, remain unhappy deep inside and always happy outside. He will always be working for all yet eaening nothing, not even an appreciation because he has no rights. In fact being proud is the worst of all foolish ironys.
One will have to give up his legitimate pride for a worthles price if he were to last in his pride. You will drive with thesame kings but you are still the slave. Soon you will have to wash the car, God save you if their cloths are not given you to wash. When you possibily realize your worth you would have waisted all opportunities to make it.
But the humble one is the most love, the one among many, the one gaining help.
Hello! Humility is being truthful to one's self so what has the humble to loss. When he spends he spends what he can spend, invite him to a launching he donats what he can afford that will not affect his other need.
If there is any good pretence it is the pretence to be less what or who you are.
You were taught to cut your coat acoording to your size, but in the spirit of this reflection please cut your coat a little less than your size so you can save some for another day.

LOVE AND THE REST OF US

when love is mentioned many feel uncomfortable, this is because of the high abuse of the word. Love is a miss pleced phenomenon in the world today. For instance, he is a married man, he will not marry her nor is he her friend, ask him, he says he love her. Were two opposite sex are gathered i espect they are either associates, friends, courtship or married couples, but this generation say no there is another relationship though with no name. We lust around and call it love. Will God ever forgive this generation? Ok, if we can't control can we be truthful atleast, y not tell her "am in lust with you" instead of "in love" when it is not really so. Am aware some girls are private prostitutes too but atleast be truthful to avoid taking advantage of the few innocent ones. Love is not a relationship but a bound that holds a relationship. If you are not associates, friends courtship couple or married you have no relationship. Ladies, after friendship the next ahead of it is courtship relationship besides above friendship should lead to marriege else it is not worth it. Men, for every second you see a woman, do with her as you will want done your daughter, sister, mother or even yourself. Let's be pure atleast for just one day...