Photo credit: Quartz
Yeah, not too long ago, when a man got home from the office, his children would meet him at the gate to welcome him. The wife would be busy in the kitchen concocting a seven course meal or something close to it.
Those were the days!
But these days, the situation has changed. Families are reduced to having unpalatable time tables for meals. Try these for size, 0-1-1, 0-0-1, 0-1-0, etc. 0 stands for no food. Interesting formulas.
But let’s thank God for little mercies. The government has announced that we are getting out of recession.
Mmm!
It takes me to the second book of Kings in the Holy Bible. There is an interesting story in Chapter 6, verse 24 through Chapter 7, verse 20.
There was a great famine in Samaria due to the fact that the Syrian army led by the Syrian king, Ben Hadad had laid a siege on the city. Things were so expensive that the rich could barely eat not to talk of the poor.
It was so bad that people were engaging in the despicable act of cannibalism.
Since it appeared then that God was not pitying His people, the king was at his tether’s end. Naturally, he found no other person to transfer his aggression to apart from Elisha the prophet. The latter was God’s representative.
The king was determined in severing Elisha’s head as if that would have been a solution to the famine. The king was really frustrated.
However, God through Elisha had a plan for better times for the people. Elisha thus promised the people better times on the following day.
But one of the king’s top aides refused to believe. He probably thought Elisha was lying just to delay his execution. Elisha in turn promised him that he would witness it but wouldn’t taste it.
Four lepers were at the city gate. Obviously their infirmity had not affected their reasoning. In an audacious streak, they wandered into the Syrian camp. To their pleasant surprise, they discovered that everything was there with the exception of even a single man.
God had made the Syrian soldiers hear the sound of a seemingly impending attack from the Israelite side. They thought the Israelites had gone to employ the services of mercenaries. The Syrians therefore made good their escape, leaving all their possessions.
Meanwhile, when the lepers discovered that the camp was bereft of men but had more than enough provisions, they set about the tasks of wining and dining. They then looted what they could in terms of jewellery and clothing.
After they were satisfied, they then remembered that they ought to have informed the king. After much hesitation, the king saw that they were telling the truth.
Better days returned to Samaria but the aide that did not believe got his reward. While the people were rushing into the camp to see things for themselves, he was trampled upon and he died.
When government is saying Nigeria is going out of recession, I can not but remember my old school principal who used to say, ‘The days of miracles are gone, never to return’.
In what ways has government consciously planned to avert recession? Are there any serious plans to move Nigeria from being a mono economy? What is government’s response to the fact that in some years’ time the Western world would no longer be dependent on our crude oil?
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