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Neighbour: Good morning, pastor. Have you heard the breaking news from America?
Pastor: Yes, neighbour, I heard it on my international radio network. I heard where President Donald Trump of America was sneezing; when he vowed that his soldiers will invade Nigeria. He even termed Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern, CPC. I also heard him warn the President of Nigeria that if he didnt do anything concrete to tame terrorists committing mass murders in Nigeria, he would intervene. I learnt that all he said was sequel to intelligence report. I think you will join me to pray for Nigeria.
Neighbour: Pastor, I and my family will join you in that prayer. I even heard that the reason for the decision is because of the massive killing of Christians by the terrorists who are Boko Haram and other Islamic insurgent groups plotting to take over Nigeria and turn it to an Islamic country.
Pastor: Yes, I know they are killing our Christian brothers, sisters and children but if I must say the truth as a pastor they also killed their fellow believers (Muslims), the only differences is known to God, nobody has the statistics. The intelligence Donald Trump has is manufactured by man so it might not be completely correct but let’s agree that Muslims and Christians are being killed.
Dad: Good morning neighbor. I heard all that you and pastor have been discussing before I came out of my room. I was listening to the BBC where one Nigerian Professor who is based in London was being interviewed. (neighbour cuts in), why will Donald Trump talk like that about Nigeria, does he not know that intelligence can fail. Was it not intelligence that former President of America, George Bush, acted upon when they claimed that Iraq has acquired Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and the president thus sending American soldiers to invade that Middle east country? .Unfortunately, after the invasion and destruction of Iraqi no WMD was found. The same thing was done in Libya, Libya is a shadow of itself today.
Pastor: Thank you very much, neighbor. God bless you richly for this research. It is people like you we need in government, people who will speak truth to government. Look at it you’re a Master Degree holder, you don’t have a job and you’re living in a one bedroom flat. (Dad cuts in angrily) – that is not charitable statement from a pastor, why are you debasing him. It is not fair, neighbor is a First Class graduate. If not for the corrupt system in the country he would have been a Director in one of the institutions by now, his mates are today either Commissioners or Ministers.
Pastor: I am very sorry for that statement, I hereby withdraw it.
Dad: It is very unfortunate, see how everybody is catching cold because of Donald Trump sneezing. Even the president was denied access to see Donald Trump. I learnt he is going to see his Deputy, JD Vance. You can now see the result nonchalant diplomatic policy where enough consultations are not made before decisions are taken. Can you imagine in America Nigeria does not have an Ambassador, the same with many other countries around the world. I won’t be surprised if they shut the door against the President.
Neighbor: I am seriously concerned about this impending invasion of American troops, it will surely destabilize Nigeria. Nigeria will never be the same again after the invasion, I pray it will not happen.
Pastor: This is why I want to hold a national prayer day and I pray the Muslims will do the same to bring Nigeria before God. When I was thinking about this issue I remembered Pastor Benson Idahosa’s prophecy when he said that Nigeria’s position in Africa was like the trigger of a gun. Truly if you look at a long gun and look at the map of Africa, the map of Africa looks like a long gun and the position of Nigeria is where the trigger of a long gun is and whosoever pulls the trigger will cause collateral damage not only to Nigeria but to West Africa and Africa as a whole. My prayer is that Donald Trump will not be the one to pull the trigger the way he is going.
Dad: Waoooo! Very apt and instructive.
Neighbor: Wonderful! Wonderful!! Pastor where did you read this, Bishop Idahosa died many years ago.
Pastor: I read it in a history book.
Neighbor: You see the importance of history but unfortunately, the government banned the teaching of history in our schools.
Dad: From the discussion on ground it is now evident that all is not well with Nigeria and we really need prayer for God to intervene. Should Trump carry out his threats many things will change in the country. The way people are even talking on radio and television is not impressive and they should not escalate and pour fuel inside this fire that is about to burn. Many have forgotten that we have American Ambassador and intelligent officers resident in Nigeria, they are monitoring everything happening in Nigeria and reporting back to their country. You know their communication network or system is far more advanced better than ours. I will advise the Minister for Information to hold a meeting with communication experts in Nigeria on this issue. Meanwhile, I am very impressed with the emergency meeting summoned by the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA on the issue where the newly appointed Service Chiefs brainstormed on how best to defeat the terrorists and secure Nigeria.
Neighbor: Dad, well spoken, I will also add that government officials should be banned from making statements that may further provoke the American government when they cast aspersions on the president of America. Can you imagine one Professor describing the president of America as arrogant; he even said America was scheming on how to take over Nigeria’s wealth yet records showed that the entire budget of Nigeria is not up to the monthly expenditure of Atlanta, a state in the US. Indeed, this is a trying time for Nigeria, if I may sum up the whole situation, I think, as they say in local parlance, Nigeria’s cup don full! By the way, pastor, when is the date for the prayer session?
Pastor: Immediately after the return of the president from Washington DC.
Neighbor: Gentlemen,have you noticed something? Did you notice that the President who is a Muslim has a wife who is a senior pastor with one of the biggest Pentecostal churches in Nigeria and most of his Ministers are Christians including most of his Security Chiefs? So, one therefore, wonders how the government could look the other way and allow massive killing of Christians, that is why I am thinking that the information that was passed to President Trump was tinted to create problem in Nigeria. Accepted, there have been killings but certainly not on the magnitude of genocide.
Dad: ( Daddy clears his throat)- I want to die a peaceful death, I don’t want to die in a confused situation where Donald Trump soldiers’ invasion would affect me and my children, I am already planning to check out of the country. Three of my children are graduates they can’t get a job since their graduation, the government is taxing virtually everything. Life is becoming very unbearable, house rent is no go area neither is government building mass houses. Prices of foods stuffs and commodities are on the increase because Christmas is approaching. Yesterday, my friends who were traveling to Onitsha from Abuja were kidnapped around Kogi state, In fact kidnapping is on the increase, transportation is almost a no go area. Schools are increasing their fees same with hospitals and Electricity bills. Many things are going haywire.
May God help Nigeria!
Postscript: The characters are imaginary and the conversation fictional…just to illustrate a real life scenario
