A
saying may be popular, perhaps very popular; that however does not validate its
veracity. A maxim may have spawned from time immemorial, and be quite
memorable, but those realities cannot vouch for its truth content.
I
gave an example. When you ask people, what is it that does not succumb to
change, the invariable answer is “only change does not change” or “only
change is permanent” or “no condition is permanent?”
The
answer is popular and universal but so so wrong. After all there is one other THING
that does not change, and in fact cannot change.
And,
ladies and gentlemen, I respectfully mention HIS name, God…………. Oyigiyigi
Eledumare, Atererekariaye
God
does not change. His ways are immutable. In the days of yore, He spoke to
people and people heard HIS voice.
I
tell you the Good Lord still speaks to people, or situations and some other
people are privileged or very fortunate to be given the right of spectating and
others the liberty of reportage.
This
columnist falls to the last category and so I must my duty do. A few days ego,
some geckos who monitor the skyscape, and are known as either “Open
Heavens Geckos (OHG)” or “Inter-galaxy Geckos (IGG)” bore
witness to the following fabulous lines.
According
to my “OHG” or “IGG”
reporters, Lagos State (hereinafter referred to as Lagos) was in deep slumber
in the night of 5th November 2012 when a voice, the voice, that
voice in a melodious but penetrating boom enquired- : “Lagos, Lagos, where are thy
Judges?”
Now
Lagos was a heavy sleeper. Her legs sprawled on the Mainland, the torso
rested on the Lagoon while her head nestled on the Atlantic. She stirred but
did not immediately come out of the stupor of her slumber.
THE VOICE: (booming deeper) Lagos, Lagos, I say where
are thy Judges?
LAGOS: (jumping up in numbed puzzle and
frozen fright) “Good morning Sir. Good morning Lord of Lords.
THE VOICE: Lagos! Lagos! Lagos! Where are thy
Judges?
LAGOS: (now up-standing and quaking) My
Lord, Lord of Lords, the Owner of the Day of Judgement, they are in Gabon sir,
sorry they are in Gambia sir, ah, so sorry sir, they are in Canada sir.
THE
VOICE: All your
judges are not in Nigeria? Why, why, speak, for I your Lord heareth!
LAGOS: (now a bit calmer and less afraid)
My Lord, Lord of Lords my judges went on a training course, so that they can
know more and do their job better.
THE
VOICE: Really? Are
they student-judges? Are they newly appointed judges?
LAGOS: (her fear returning) No my Lord but,
but judges are better off with continuous education.
THE
VOICE: Were you not
supposed, to appoint the wise as judges in the first place?
LAGOS: Yes my Lord.
THE VOICE: Did you?
LAGOS: Em, em, em,em, Not all of them are wise my Lord but I had
to appoint those others because, because, em, em, em, because…
THE
VOICE: Because of
what? You mean you fear and give respect to the wishes of mortals above my
commands that only the wise and the just should be appointed judges over their
fellow men? By the way how many judges did you take to EUROPE for “more
education?
LAGOS: Em, em, about fifty Sir
THE VOICE:
How many are their teachers?
LAGOS: The Chief Judge said they are just about six, my Lord.
THE
VOICE: Lagos! Lagos! You mean you took 50
students to meet 6 teachers, in a foreign land. Would it not have been much easier, cheaper
and better to bring 6 teachers to meet 50 students here?
LAGOS: (shaking uncontrollably?) My Lord, My Lord.
THE
VOICE: The students
you took to meet teachers, is it not true that you will pay them “estacode”
“disturbance
allowance”
“out-of-station
allowance,” yet they went to receive knowledge?
LAGOS: Ah My Lord, My Lord.
THE
VOICE: Lagos!
Lagos! Is this trip of ‘special students’ to the foreign land not costing
you up to 150 million naira?
LAGOS: Ah My Lord, My Lord
THE
VOICE: In a state
like yours where poverty is grinding for many of your people, is this the best
way to spend the money and the sweat of your people?
LAGOS: My Lord, My Lord
THE
VOICE: Lagos!
Lagos! I ask you - this special trip of special students is it really a
journey in search of education or an avenue for a jamboree or a junket?
LAGOS: My Lord, My Lord
THE
VOICE: (In a
thundering, roar) Stop Milording me! I am the Lord and I am no respecter of
persons. I am slow to anger but sure to punish all injustice, all inequalities.
The groans and the cries of the
multitude of the poor in your midst have reached my ears. You help the rich to
get richer and make the poor, poorer. You increase the comfort of the rich but
you make the poor to shed more tears.
I am the God of Justice. I am the God
of Justice. I am the God of Justice.
LAGOS: (terrified to stupefaction, lay prostrate on the ground,
in a faint).
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