On Sunday here gunmen stormed into a Catholic church in Ozubulu
and gunned down members of the congregation who were attending Sunday mass. As
the drama unfolded and social media was agog with gory pictures, the rumour
mills started grinding and the blame was immediately directed at all sorts of
terrorist groups. As the day progressed, however, the truth filtered through
and it was revealed that the source of this massacre was an enemy within
otherwise known as Greed.
It is said that innocent people lost their lives in the incident
but let us ask ourselves, is anyone really innocent in this? Can any of us
claim to be innocent? Are we really surprised that this incident occurred? Have
we not been courting this enemy for several years now in Igboland? Is it
something that started today?
According to reports corroborated by the governor of Anambra State, the incident was the outcome of a drugs war between two drug barons from
Ozubulu who were fighting over a debt arising from a drugs deal. Having gone to
the house of one of the barons known as “Bishop” and not finding him home, the
gunmen proceeded to the church to seek him out and kill him.
They marched into the
church, saw his father and opened fire killing everyone who was in the way.
What gave them the impetus to march into the church premises with their guns
and open fire on ‘holy grounds’, committing an act that is a total abomination?
They clearly did not recognize the holiness of the premises after all they were
aware that the church was built from the proceeds of crime and drug sales. As
far as they were concerned, they were home!
And that is where the problem lies. That is where we should begin to question
our own innocence in this matter. Is there anyone in that town who was unaware
of “Bishop’s” reputation or the source of his wealth? Didn’t the priests accept
his blood money to build their church? Didn’t the villagers attend the church
knowing where the funds came from? Didn’t they treat the donor and his father
with deference because of his ill-gotten wealth? What other outcome could we
then expect? How then can we claim to have been innocent?
It is unfortunate that rather than face the reality of recession,
you hear “men of God” say recession is not our portion, are they a different species?
It is all in a bid to inadvertently hoodwink gullible congregants to part with funds
that they don’t even have. At the community level, you are a failed politician if
you return without looting the commonwealth. This society must learn to respect
integrity and credibility of character. Public service does not exist any more, the community gets nothing but the elected or appointed builds mansion and we are clapping.
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