CELEBRATING NIGERIA @ 62: GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS
Happy 62nd Independence Anniversary Celebrations fellow Nigerians.
Another October Calendar Month is here once again and our Month in this Country (Nigeria) to roll out our drums and put on our dancing shoes Celebrating and Specially Thanking God for His Grace and Faithfulness over our dearest Country Nigeria!
A lot of waters had indeed Passed under the bridge – However inspite of all these bold and seemingly Challenges that steered us on our faces; we can still Stand Up and made bold to say on the Mountain-Top that the Lord has been and is still Good to us indeed in this Country!
The entity that was Christened Nigeria was a creation of the British Colonial Adventurer and Empire Builders that found their way down the West Coast through the Atlantic Ocean. The Europeans march for Markets, Raw Materials and the need to exert Political influence abroad led the British Government to journey to Africa as a whole and took over the Control of their Government from them.
The Name “NIGERIA” was coined from the two words “NIGER-AREA” – The name itself being the name of the River that constitutes the most remarkable Geographical features of the Landscape Area.
The name was coined by Miss Flora Shaw, the future wife of Lord Lugard – The Governor General as at then.
The amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Provinces with the Lagos Colony took Place in 1914 and by October 1st 1960, we obtained our Independence from our Colonial Masters – The United Kingdom and later went ahead to become a Republican Nation by 1st of October 1963. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the first Prime Minister while the first “Ceremonial President” of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.
Ever since then, Nigeria had gone through a lot of smooth and rough Paths but the Lord had been so Faithful to us that had kept us together thus far in this Country!
Prominent among the Historical happenings that were of Prime importance to us are:
The Military interventions in 1966 (both in January and July of same year), 1975, 1976 (Not forgetting the assassination of Major General Murtala Mohammed), 1983, 1985 and 1993; the awful experience by our South East people in the Civil War from 1967 to 1970, Short-lived Civilian Rule from 1979 to 1983 and then followed swiftly by another transition to Civilian Rule from 1999 till date.
The Lord had indeed been so Faithful to us without mincing words!
The Country had been so much blessed Symbolically with her Choice of her National Flag and Coat-of-Arm – The Green-White-Green Colours of the Nigeria’s flag Stands for “FERTILITY and PEACE” in the Land. The two (2) Horses in the Coat-of-Arm signifies STRENGTH; the Eagle depicts “PEACE and KINGSHIP”; while the Y – SHAPE in the middle represents River Niger and River Benue with the two of them converging at a Point called Conference Town, in Lokoja, Kwara State then but now in Kogi State.
The Lyrics of our National Anthem and Pledge are so Prayerful and Philosophical and it shows our “Strong Belief” in a God that can make ALL things fall in Pleasant Places for us as a Nation.
It shows that Nigeria indeed is “African God’s Own Country” – Please let us take out time to digest the Lyrics of the 2nd Stanza of the New National Anthem. It is our Legislative Prayer Point for all of us!
As a Nation, we found ourselves sunk deeply into the murky waters of Corruption – Struggling to “CHANGE” the Order of the Day according to the current Political Leadership in the Country.
RELIGION remains our HOPE to Play its role as a disinfectant of the Decadence and Putrefaction that has overwhelmed our Society.
For a Political environment suffused with knaves, carpet baggers and fixers; money and crooked connections have always been the rule of the thumb.
We Presently witness a Generation of Politicians who have remained impervious to Moral Standards – They continue to treat the issues of Electoral Reforms with contempt and apathy.
Their main Article of Faith remains that only those with godfathers and money can rule Nigeria.
The reality has continually and finally dawned on our faces that even those Educated Elites that occasionally take refuge under the aegis of Religion; only ply their brand of Politics in the dark alleys and crevices of Religion.
We as a reminder however took solemn in the fact that our God still remains on the Throne.
He has sustained our dear Land even in the face of evil and unnecessary shedding of innocent blood – The cry of which goes to God daily.
God has blessed us with Good Weather, a Fertile Landscape, Protected us from Internal War and deadly Diseases.
*It is therefore high time; we as Christians Stand Up to the Challenge and bring our God to fore in the running of the affairs of this Nation as we Progress into the 9th Republic of the Civilian Rule in Nigeria (1979 to 1984 (Truncated) and 1999 to 2023 (Uninterrupted).
Our God’s Love is gratuitous and Free.
God can still hear our cry – Like he heard the Israelites cried up to Him when the Egyptians were maltreating them in the Land of Egypt. He can still heal our Land if and only if we can Stand Up to fill the void and cover up the gap by offering earnest Prayers to Him that seated on the Throne.
Nigeria remains our very own Jerusalem and the Bible admonishes us to Pray for our Jerusalem – We should bear this in Mind always that if the Country Nigeria is not Peaceful, then you and I will find it Practically impossible to serve the Lord!
CONGRATULATIONS FELLOW NIGERIANS AND HAPPY 62ND INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATIONS!
