By Prisca Sam-Duru

Men’s love for God in this perilous times, truly is waxing cold. This change in attitude is a confirmation of the Biblical injunction as recorded in Matthew 24:12, resulting in individuals, worst of all, leaders doing things out of spite and self ambition irrespective of how badly the poor masses suffer from their actions . The love for wealth acquisition has become so intrusive on the rights of citizens of Nigeria to the extent that not even crumbs are left by the oppressors and persecutors of God’s people for the downtrodden.

As the days go by, we discover that political terrorists and the ‘unprofitable servants’, devoted to destruction, who have adorned themselves with excesses and failures, meander their ways into offices through every available dubious means in other to fulfill that unchecked insatiable apatite for wealth acquisitions.

Sadly, the latest transparency international report reveals that Nigeria is among the most politically corrupt countries in the world. Going by the report, it is no longer gain saying the fact that Nigerian citizens are suffering and wallowing in abject poverty. And more disturbing is the fact one finds it absolutely difficult to explain the height of suffering of the people in a country so richly blessed and endowed with human and natural resources.

Causes and effects

Has God abandoned Nigeria…, a 252 page book ,written in thirteen chapters by Erik Aguaze, is a book that spiritually interprets and analyses the causes and effects of Nigeria’s woeful situation alongside the panacea for salvaging a country that is taunted as the most populous black Nation in the world from total extinction.

The author of the book, himself, an Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering degree holder from the USA, who also describes himself as a “ Christian apologist” laments the treacherous nature of those in power, both past and the present power mongers who are relentlessly plunging the once giant of Africa into perpetual ditch of underdevelopment.

Without mincing words, Aguaze points sin as responsible for the Nations woes. According to him, “Our leaders have sinned, and the consequences of sin is death. Sin which has impoverished the people causes misery, helplessness and loss of identity. Thus, the sins of our leaders are hunting the country and it is heart breaking that the hapless citizens are at the receiving end.”

He also notes that every authority is from God and every leader is a servant of God put in office to promote and preserve peace, justice and protect its citizens. It is sad that our leaders and indeed leaders of many African Nations are doing the contrary.

It becomes more disheartening when the ways of religious leaders are considered. Many have gradually derailed from the precepts of God and rather than protect and provide hope and faith to the poor masses who seek a way of escaping from oppressive government, they instead help to add to their afflictions.

“The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. They live for the here and now, these spiritual mercenaries merchandising Christ, duping, robbing, fleecing and twisting the minds of unsuspecting faithful followers of their hard earned money in prophecies, exploit them to make pledges that some cannot redeem leaving them in ravaged poverty.” He said.

Identity of ungodly men

Quoting from 2 Peter 3:3 which talks about ungodly men, the author reveals the identity of some of this people that shame God through their actions to including some ministers in Nigeria with “huge foreign and local bank accounts, fleets of exotic vehicles, personal jets and universities”.

Chapter one of the book titled, Nigeria in General gives diverse definitions of what the Nigerian story is. The Nigerian story for Erik is a story of spiritual tragedy of blood on the altar resulting from covetousness and transgression of political economy, story of “total darkness and rebirth of lantern and the oil lamp,” the story of a deliberate determination by the government to create an underclass as reference point of real development and also as the story of a country that has lost her sense of shame and now, in deep descent into the valley of sorrow and humiliation.

However, the author proffers genuine repentance as the solution to the devastation of the Nation which takes us to chapter five titled, New Birth Not Re-branding. The book appears to challenge the present rebranding project of the Federal Government ,when it reasons that Goverernment of the day has wasted billions of naira in an attempt to creating a new image for Nigeria thinking that money solves all ills.