Too many little big men

I have been looking around the polity. I see much more wealth than poverty and want. However, because the humongous commonwealth is locked in a few hands, too many mouths remain thirsty and hungry. So much money shared by the few rich leaves an alarming majority extremely poor. 

It is true that all of us are not equals but we have tended to make matters worse, by widening the gulf. The rich have not only displayed desperation to get richer but also an inhuman meanness to make the poor poorer. Something like: die, and let’s live. Unfortunately, the poor seem to enjoy this wickedness or why else do they suffer (rich) fools so gladly!

The truth is that most of our so-called rich people are too poor. Call them the poor rich. You can grow the list. The weak strong.

The illiterate educated. The dirty clean. The uncouth civilised. The ignorant enlightened.

The unattractive beauty. The foolish wise. The hateful lovers. The unpatriotic nationalists. 

The problem of our space is that we have little big men all over the place. They pose as humble but are in reality too proud, too haughty; too good-for-nothing. Little big men are permanent pretenders to the throne of humanity, modesty, and morality. Fortunately, these little big men are easy to spot out, for obvious reasons.  

One, in our (insaner) clime, they are everywhere. Around here, you can’t turn into the next street or into the next high office without running into a couple of them or more. Two, they hold big positions but that’s all they have. If you took away their post or title, you’d find them naked or bare or begging or finished or all of the above.

Three, you would know little big men the way they treat people they think are below them. Yes, the big man who is desperate to prove his bigness is at best a little big man. If you are at the top but can go to any length to prove where you are or to seek validation, you are indeed not good or big enough. Real big men don’t do little things, only little big men do.

Little big men use their positions to abuse, to intimidate, to ridicule, to maltreat, to victimise others. Real big men don’t condescend, and never that low. Real big men have nothing to prove, they have nobody to teach a lesson. Only little big men deploy who they are or what they have, vindictively.

Dear Sir, you are a little big man if you terrorise the people in your team. Forget your title, damn your office and keep aside all that stolen, filthy money, if your spouse or family or lieutenants are afraid of you, you are only a little big man, a poor rich man. You are a little man in borrowed big robes. Shame, little big, poor rich man, shame.

Quit showing smallness, dear aspiring big man. Eschew arrogance and anger, and bile and envy, and hate and vengeance. No need to show you are the boss since everyone already knows. Treat even your slaves decently, the same way you would have preferred to be treated if you were them.

When your aides visit or they need to discuss with you, offer them a seat first complete with your undivided attention and love and understanding. Most of your aides today are only waiting for process to churn them out as your tomorrow helpers. So: whatever you do, Chief Boss, ensure to leave behind a sweet memory. Memories almost always come back either to bless or haunt.

Don’t allow anybody who works under you to asterisk you for the future as the little big man who was once their boss. Imagine your children reading that report card as yours. Little-big-man-boss, please wake up and change your sleeping position. Real big men don’t sleep with their mouth and ‘nyash’ open.

Real big men are big on virtues. They are just to everyone. They neither treat equals unequally nor unequals equally. They are as fair as can be because they know when the chips are down, only fairness, not favouritism or injustice, can exonerate or repay them. 

Never be a little big man. Never despise people less blessed, less fortunate, less educated than you; since you don’t know tomorrow or would you enjoy being served that dish? Never humiliate anyone; not even those you think are your enemies. Above all, never cheat the widow, the weak, the poor because that is tantamount to daring God who is too omniscient, too omnipotent and too omnipresent to be dared. 

I warn you again, dear little big man: flee from the temptation of hurting that man, that woman, that child who has nobody. They are the most dangerous persons to hurt. You could lose everything just for such indiscretion. Beware and be warned and be careful: don’t say I didn’t tell you!

Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets and prophetesses no harm. The smartest way to heed this instruction, as a big man, is to  stay away from touching even the unanointed as well as from harming non-prophets. Take the side of peace, twenty four seven. Real big people are too wise to play in small leagues; to play in the sand.  

Finally, dear little big man, see and hear more but talk less; guard your tongue more. Complain less, forgive more and quickly. Expect less, more and more but accommodate more and share more, more and more; show more class per time, more and more. Whatever though, always consciously act like a big man -never like one little big man you have forced us to see you as all along.

God bless Nigeria!

Dear God, can we please strike a deal?

I attended service yesterday at Government House Chapel, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. It was good to see Gov. Udom Emmanuel step up to take Bible reading but -like the prayer warrior we all know he is- first raise four, five powerful prayer points. Clearly, God is with our peaceful, beautiful state.

When Rev. (Dr) Iniobong Udoh of Qua Iboe Church stepped up to preach, his topic (defeating worries) and the way he handled it left me wondering if humanity should not seek to strike a deal with the Almighty. I mean, if worries produce no result and most of our worries never see the light of day, why can’t God henceforth simply whisper reassurance every time into our ears or heart? That is, instead of allowing us to worry to death or sickness first!

Our Father who art in heaven, help us this once please. Cure our heart and being of worries and the resultant pains. Teach us to realise that you, who provide for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, are more than capable and ready to take care of us. 

Lord, lock away our hearts in your palm where neither worries nor cares can access let alone threaten us. Let nothing ever shake us again; knowing that you have taken care of every care. Let fear no more hold us hostage, in the Name of Jesus!