The cursing affair (II)

Continued from last week

‘Amen to your prayers Bint. Truly our uniformed oppressors deserve no mercy from us because they also show us no mercy in their dishonesty and looting.’ Maryam said.

‘While we are at it, why don’t we add the civilians who are also doing the same insensitive show, in the midst of the poverty and suffering of our people. Take the case of this governor’s son.’ Asabe said, showing us a video on her phone screen.

‘What is going on here, can you explain?’ I asked, after watching the clip.

‘Yes, I can. It’s the birthday party for a governor’s daughter-in-law. The lady you see screaming with joy and walking towards a white car is the celebrant. Her husband, the governor’s son just gave her a 45- million-naira-car as her birthday gift. Now note that he is only the governor’s son, not the governor.’ Asabe explained.

‘Look, even if he’s the governor, it is the height of irresponsibility to present his wife with such an expensive car when he and his colleagues are always claiming they have no money to pay workers and execute viable projects. Not when they are always rushing to Abuja to beg for bailouts.’ Hafsah said, in disgust.

‘And when you look at the state where this young man’s father is the governor, it’s one of those with millions of poverty-stricken citizens. The cost of this car alone can make a huge difference in the lives of thousands who can’t afford a decent meal a day. But because we live in a country where ordinary people are always last on the scale of their leaders’ priority, we have to witness such unfortunate scenes. I mean, here is someone who probably hasn’t worked a day in his life, but because he happens to be the son of a public office holder, he has grown so wealthy that he flaunts his ill-gotten wealth with no remorse.’ I opined, in anger.

‘This is the one reason we can never move from our Third World status to a developed nation. I mean despite all the natural resources Almighty Allah has blessed us with, we can never really develop because a few people at the helm of our affairs always looted our treasury by diverting our common patrimony to private use. And their hearts are so hardened that though they move around and see extreme poverty and suffering they are not at all moved. Their self-aggrandizement is all that matters to them. I agree with you that we should include these people in our cursing prayer. They deserve nothing less. In a way these civilians are even worse than the uniformed looters because those were not elected by us. They didn’t campaign to us and promise us heaven on earth. But these politicians made promises that they mostly fail to keep, in addition to that they loot their state treasuries dry. How truly unfortunate!’ Maryam concluded.

‘Yes, very unfortunate indeed, and now I really need that juice you offered us when we came in. I mean after such a brazen display of the proceeds of lootocracy, by both children of top military officers and those of their civilians counterparts, we know that we are doomed in this country unless The Almighty has mercy on us.’ Hafsah concurred.

‘Yes Bint, you should bring us the refreshments you offered earlier. But before then let’s round up our cursing session, so we can take our drinks in peace.’ Asabe suggested.

‘Okay Maryam, please lead the prayer of curses on all those plundering the wealth of our fatherland.’ I requested.

‘Ok then’, Maryam answered, raising her palms up. ‘May The Almighty, in His infinite mercy, relieve us of them. May He begin to punish them for their crimes against fellow men, right from this world, before they reach the next. May all they did with our stolen wealth never receive any blessings. And finally, may the ease and joy craved by all our country-men be ours at last, through His divine providence. Amin.’ She ended, raising her palms to her face.

‘Amin ya Rabbil aalamin,’ we chorused after her.