17th Saturday in Ordinary Time (August 1/20)
Narration: I recently watched the viral video of Channel Tv interview of Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, a Nigerian economist, academic, and politician. He was a 2019 presidential aspirant. In that interview he spoke out, loud and clear, that the problem with Nigeria is corruption.
Your daily blessing: May the Lord’s blessing pour down mightily upon you in this month of might and greatness. Amen!
In fact, I have never heard any Nigerian speak so lucidly, and with brevity too, about corruption and how to tackle it. He identified seven forms of corruption:
1. Inflated government contracts (55-65 per cent of all corruption)2. Unreported, unremitted revenue3. Extortion (from 50 Naira collected by police on our roads to multi-million Naira deals for ‘seeing’ top government officials). 4. Conversion of public properties into private ones.5. Mis-use of security votes (by federal and state government executives). 6. Criminal wastefulness (includes reckless use of private jets and government resources).7. Undue influence peddling (where government office is given to family and friends or cronies and rent seekers instead of competent persons, includes all forms of nepotism).
He demanded that the best solution will be to pass the bill against inflated government contracts which will cut our corruption index by half. Then use technology to make tax collection easy.
He concluded by saying, “there has never been a government in the history of Nigeria, that has promoted corruption more than Buhari’s government, because the worst kind of corruption is a fake fight against corruption.” I love ‘focused’ courage.
In today’s first reading (Jer. 26:11-16, 24), priests and prophets said to the princes regarding Jeremiah, “This man deserves death; he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.” Jeremiah admitted that he prophesied against the city because that was what God asked him to do. But if they change their ways, God may relent.
However, he told them he is ready for whatever fate awaits him in their hands. He was not afraid of death. The truth is that, until we lose our fear of death, and stand up to fight for a better Nigeria, our leaders will continue to pillage this nation until they strip it bare. Emiliano Zapata said, “it is better to die on your feet than live on your knees” (slave). Lose your fear! Jesus says, “whoever loves his life, will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake (for truth) will find (save) it” (Matt 10:39). In the Gospel (Matt 14:1-12) John the Baptist loses his mortal life for speaking the truth; but lives on! I have hope for this country because of people like Datti Baba-Ahmed. People of courage are needed in times like ours. Can this nation count on you?
PRAYER: Merciful Lord, raise up people of courage for this nation. Anoint them with a hunger for honor and passion for truth and justice. May I be found worthy of this honor! Give me courage as a disciple of the truth, Lord! Amen🙏🏽©️Fr Augustine Ebido, O.P.
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PRAYER: Merciful Lord, raise up people of courage for this nation. Anoint them with a hunger for honor and passion for truth and justice. May I be found worthy of this honor! Give me courage as a disciple of the truth, Lord! Amen🙏🏽©️Fr Augustine Ebido, O.P.
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