MY COUNTDOWN BEGINS TODAY

I am not going to convince you on why you must fast today. No. Hell No. The Holy Book has done justice to this and I will be doing a great disservice to the honourable gentlemen who laboured to ensure that what we have today called Holy Bible will serve its purpose.

I will not convince you to fast because I will be duplicating the roles of our brothers coordinating the fast and prayer sessions. I will not embark on such mental exercise. Let the wise hear, understand and practise.

But I will tell you a story; a story of my life. This is my story.

As a boy growing up, I had dreams. But, like many others, my parents had a different dream for me. Though I found it difficult to choose a career path, a hand was steering me to my calling. (I will fast for all those who are passing through this same situation today that God will steer them to their professional calling)

My mother bought me ‘ABABIO’ (those who studied Chemistry in the secondary school know this book very well. I don’t even remember the full name of the book then and now) at a time when you could count how many people that had it in school and I was still in SS1 then. But I was heading for the arts; Chemistry classes sounded gibberish to me. I gave out the book because I had no need for it. (I don’t know if she has forgiven me for this) I must fast so that God The Giver will touch many hearts to give out books, medical kits and other things to those in need of it this season and always.

Our chemistry teacher walked like a tomboy. We called her IUPAC and our math teacher had an irregular dentition so this earned him the name baboon. Many of us then had a dislike for both and it got to an extent that I started avoiding classes. (I must fast today so that God will touch the heart of that young boy or girl playing truancy that he/ she may realise that he is slowly endangering his/her future and change his/her ways quickly.

The same baboon flogged me silly in front of the whole class one day and warned me sternly never to leave his class again. I didn’t. But it didn’t make me understand his lessons and I didn’t bother to ask. I barely struggled in Maths till I graduated. But, in English, Government, Literature in English, Religious Knowledge and others, I was ‘smashing’ them.

I took JAMB and my score was relatively poor. I took it from ss3 from a ‘JJC’ angle. So I got a provisional admission to read Mass Communication and not Law which my mother and uncle made me fill in the Jamb form.

In the course of my year one, she made me to take another JAMB. My score was higher topping 24? (I forgot the actual score) I must fast that all Umunumo sons and daughters who are taking JAMB by a dint of hard work and diligence will score above me and even be recognised for their efforts.  However, the cut off score for Law was about 3 or 4 points higher than mine.

I sat back one day and reflected on my situation. I told myself that it means that I will start afresh and my mates will be ahead of me. This, to me was an abomination. I must fast today, that though all fingers are not equal, your mates will not pass you in any life endeavour.

It was on this note that I made up my mind that I would study Mass Communication and finish a mass communicator no matter what my mother said or did to me.

Looking back today after all the twists and turns in the long tortuous journey called life, I can’t but thank the Lord. For this, I will fast and also remember all those who are experiencing any twist or turn in their life that God will give them courage to face life’s challenges.

I sit back in front of my laptop and type away with comfort without a manuscript and people call me and commend my effort. This is fulfilment. I own no gun to coerce people to do my bidding. But with a pen, I can gently win them over; convince them to see reasons with me and sell the idea to them. I write for change; a change that will bring positive development to the people. I am happy because I can reach out to people and share thoughts with them. For this and for continuity (not the PDP type oooo) I must fast.

I was reading the story of the release of the queen mother Professor Okonjo and to celebrate my happiness, I must fast because I do not want the sacrilege of kidnapping traditional rulers to take place in my place. I must fast because I do not want to be either a victim or any member of Umunumo Platform to be a victim of kidnap. I must fast to confirm our collective ‘insurance’ from Chukwu Okike that we all shall go and return safely.

I have lost a very dear uncle, an aunty and a dearest lady in the last 6 months. The whole Umunumo community in one way or the other has lost someone this year. I must fast for God to give their souls eternal rest. I must fast so that in the remaining days of 2012 and 2013, sudden death will not be in any way associated with my family, families of members of Umunumo Platform and the entire Umunumo community.

Yesterday, I had to stop by my uncle’s supermarket to see his sons before I head home. Two out of the four were there. We cracked jokes discussed about this and that till it was late. I always had alot of fun discussing with two of them because they saw life and Nigeria from a different perspective entirely.

Suddenly, I saw people running. I thought this people have started again; running for no just cause. I asked a lady who was also running, she informed me that “area boys” were fighting. A few seconds after she told me this, a young boy either my age or younger wielding a short cutlass; the blade shining even at night, came by to inform us to close shop and this was just minutes past 7 pm.

Hardly had I parked the wares outside than I saw a large group of boys coming. Already, cars were reversing quickly and people running for dear lives. Two young girls ran into me as they made their way into the supermarket for safety. There were two other customers buying things inside there. The sound of empty bottles breaking on the tarred road and the huge light coming out from the burning tyre indicated that the boys were approaching. I rushed into the shop and we closed the door, keeping a small space for us to peep. The only word I heard was “station, station, station”. No sooner had they passed than I started hearing gunshots. This is no movie. Real gunshots; so loud and clear that you could decipher the type of gun that released the bullet; say this is the sound of AK 47 and so on. 

One of the young girls hiding inside with us kept shouting “ah my market, ah my market”. We shut her up but not for long. She kept on it. While bullets were flying around, this young girl of not more than 21 ran out to secure her ‘market’ comprising of VCD and DVD plates she sold for N100 each. Her friend was so shocked at her attitude; abandoning her and risking her life for goods not worth up to N4000.

Don’t ask me what happened later. The police men in their ‘show of force’ came out in their numbers, some driving their patrol vans while others went on foot. But all of them were shooting sporadically into the air. In fact you could hear the sound of hot lead falling of corrugated iron sheets.

I must fast so that our ‘mgbala’, backyards, ‘okporo ama’ and homesteads will not be war fronts for the police, armed robbers or armed thugs. I must fast so that our corrugated iron sheets would be devoid of hot leads and the disturbing sounds that come with it.

Nigeria is rated by Transparency International as the 35^th most corrupt country in the world. Are you surprised? Don’t be. Apart from this, the country is a looter’s lair where we wake up to a scandal and go to bed hearing of another scandal while the first is yet to be resolved, all related to missing or stolen billions of naira. I must fast so that Oluwa in His infinite mercy will touch the hearts of these people or strike them down for good people to take over.

 Ours is a worst case scenario where students spend more money on Brazilian hair, human hair, bags, phones and clothing than books. Tell me why they will not cut corners to pass examination when they ping all day and club all night. Have you calmed down to listen to a young undergraduate talk, male or female (but the females are the culprits)? Disgusting is the word. Are we surprised that in external examinations we perform poorly in English and other related subjects. I was opportune to work with a youth corp member in 2007. No beef intended, but whatever she wrote I had to re write it. An eight year old boy could not read one correct sentence in her article! This girl graduated with a second class upper, people! Oh did I tell you, her beauty is unrivalled. At a particular group interview years back, another lady graduate could not tell the meaning of "ICT". I was so ashamed of myself . Even when people behind her were whispering it, she didn't even get it right. I must fast so that this generation will not ‘copy and paste’ assignments. I will fast so that God will make this generation better than it is.

Umunumo nwe m, I am not a story teller but I am saying that I will fast today to thank God for saving my life yesterday. I have been in situations where as we are commencing examinations in a large hall, you will hear gunshots (of course a soul will drop) and you will see ‘men’ jumping out of the window with their question papers and answer sheets.  Lecturers will run for cover while the only cries and shouts you will hear will be that of fickle minded ‘guys’ and babes. After 7 minutes everybody will reassemble to continue the examination. If God rescued me from that situation, I will fast today.

As Nigerians mourn the death or former Kaduna State governor, former National Security Adviser and 8 other people in a plane crash, I must fast so that plane crash will not be my portion (though I don’t fly). I must fast so that the Alpha and Omega will protect our air space for all travellers within this period so that we would not record any air mishap.

A friend of mine posted a comment on his wall thus:

“If you have worked so hard, done everything possible to experience a financial breakthrough and it seems to be a mirage, my dear run to Jesus in prayer; an old woman is sitting somewhere fanning herself with your picture.” For this, I must fast. I must fast for all enemies of progress. I must fast that God will counter all negative spirits no matter what wretched kingdom they come from. You must fast because if you work like a king, you deserve to eat like a king, not an ant.  I must fast so that God will have mercy on us and break all the yokes, covenants and curses on our heads either by omission or commission. I must fast so that when ‘they’ call our names, confusion and spiritual earthquake will follow them in their tattered kingdoms.

I tell you today, your destiny can be delayed but not denied. ‘Onye ji ihe nwata, mgbe aka jiri ya, o ga hapuru nwata ihe ya’. As we collectively fast and pray, let us believe strongly and pray that God will help Umunumo realise its goal of rapid development.

Like the ‘short black boy’ rapper, Jude M.I Abaga said in one of his songs, ‘we are our own tomorrow’. Nobody will do it for us but only God will.

If you are still looking for a reason to fast, you have been eating 3 square meals. Why not sacrifice 2 of the three in one day to Umunumo Platform so that they can help reach out to those who cannot afford even a meal.

Still looking for a reason to fast and pray today? Fast and pray for Umunumo Platform, all indigenes of umunumo and myself. Oluwa has blessed us all, even you as you read this piece.

Not yet convinced? Ok fast and pray because the D-day is coming. Fast and pray because my countdown starts today!

As preparations are in top gear, read my next article to see some of the names and professionals the platform will be unleashing to ensure that this development becomes a reality very soon.