BY S.B. WILLIAMS
There is a cry about “dryness” in the nation. I don’t know whether this concept of dryness refers to the present hike in the prices of commodities or whether it refers to actual scarcity of commodities. I don’t know whether there is general scarcity of commodities in which case there may be some justification for figuratively describing the situations as dryness.
Let me give an example of actual scarcity of commodities sometime in the 1980s there was scarcity of palm oil and groundnuts in this nation at the same time.
The people were quick to improvise. There was a kind of biscuit which was sugarless, in the market (cabin biscuits). The majority of people started using biscuits to replace groundnuts which unfortunately disappeared together with the palm oil. This was a case of actual scarcity of essential commodities. But who was and who is responsible for the situation we are now crying foul about?
Traders in palm oil and groundnuts carted away hundreds of drums from this country and also groundnut to Guinea where they sold at very high prices. They were responsible for the t scarcity, not considering the survival of their fellow Sierra Leoneans.
So if God turns His back against the nation because of disobedience to Him and wickedness to our fellow men, who is responsible for our plight?
When a leader has an affair with a water spirit Queen of the coast, for example, he sells the nation to the dictates of that spirit. Until that entity is banished by the Lord Jesus, the nation remains under bondage. In such a case, who is responsible?
The Bible says in proverbs 14:34 “Righteousness exalted a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov. 14:34)
Nearly every religion I have studied lays emphasis on love and/or care for fellow men and these are: Islam, Buddha, Hinduism, Christianity and the Jewish Religion. The absence of love and care for our fellow men is root cause of all human problems.
THE ROOT CAUSE
If we believe that God is the creator of all living things including non-living things in general, then we should naturally be responsible to him as our heavenly Father.
This implies that we must obey Him and depend on Him for guidance and sustenance and obey His Laws.
But unfortunately many people have been communicating and worshipping demonic powers, which is an abomination to God who is the only true source of lasting peace and prosperity. This has not brought prosperity or real peace to the nation? All the adversities this nation has faced are caused by failure of the people to love both God and man. When the Pharisees asked Jesus which was the great commandment, he answered as follows “…thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”. (Mathew 22: 37) Jesus also added:
“And the second is like unto it.
Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:39)
The true love of God can only be demonstrated through obedience to his laws; in Deuteronomy 28:1 we read God’s word.
“And it shall come to pass, if thou will hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all His commandment which I command this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations”.
Idol worship (the worship of spirits) is an abomination to God but this has been and is still going on in this nation because the commandment of God says; “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me “(Exodus 20:3), idol worshippers are partly responsible for the problems of this nation.
Let us look at the second commandment which requires us to love our neighbours as ourselves. Has this been operating in this nation? Instead, there is unabated violation of the commandment of God as follows; There is
- Dishonour of father and mother
- Murder
- Adultery (and fornication)
- Stealing (and robbery)
- False witness
- Covetousness
All the forgoing refers to our relationship with our fellow men. God will only return his favour to the nation if there is true repentance all of us guilty of the above are responsible for the problems that are facing this nation so be sincere and stop blaming the government.
WRONG LEADERSHIP DECISIONS
The phasing out of the Sierra Leone Railway
I have chosen this as an example of wrong leadership decisions that make the nation suffer. The then President Dr. Siaka Probyn Stevens decided to phase out the Sierra Leone Railway reportedly advised by the Economic Adviser, the late Solomon Pratt. The Railway was replaced by trucks. In fact, there was no way in which the trucks could have replaced the railway in any form. It failed miserably. The trains (chains of coaches) were very comfortable and plied the route from Pendemba to Freetown. There were comfortable seats with windows and a toilet to be used while the train was in motion. One could eat, stand and move without any tendency to fall.
What was most surprising to me was that the Railway was phased out at the time when Diesel Engines were introduced to replace the fire engines.
Apart from the comfort stated, one could deposit heavy luggage or goods at the station office and collect them the next day at the next station office.
I have no hesitation in saying that the then President caused a big problem in the transport sector which cannot be solved by any number of buses.
WITHCRAFT
The reality of witchcraft cannot be denied because there is constant exposition of their wicked operations. Witches and wizards destroy not only individuals or family destines but also destinies of nations. When a nation is involved in witchcraft practices the witches will have the open door to cage the destiny of a nation. They can only be stopped if the nation turns to God in true repentance. This is why God has instructed that this nation to undertake a month’s fasting and prayer every three months including all night prayers for the restoration of Sierra Leone’s glorious destiny. Witchcraft is real but they flee from the presence of God.
A witch can sacrifice even for her own child and destroy the destiny of family members. However, if we are truly under the banner of Christ, they cannot harm us. Read this “A certain woman had a sick child that she took to several hospitals and even took him aboard but still no cure. At last she returned to Nigeria and decided to contact a prophet. The first thing the prophet asked her was; “Madam, what has this child done to you?” She said she belonged to a group of witches in which each member was to donate her child to be eaten when her turn came. It started well and she ate the flesh of children from the other women. When it was her turn, she refused to give up her child. At last she decided to donate the child’s liver which they all partook of.
She knew this and was taking the child everywhere for treatment. This group was responsible for certain problems of the nation.
Hypocrisy
Many people who join the chorus of dryness are not really facing the reality of dryness. The question is; is there really dryness in the real sense of the word?
How many people have died of starvation? How many people have closed their market stores? Those who are not suffering are sometimes the people that cry loudest about dryness; This is hypocrisy. Some of them are responsible for initiating price hikes
Market Opportunists
It is a fact that traders do not suffer when there are increases in fuel, rice and other commodities. The reason is that the traders raised their price just as they like. For example, the price of ‘garri” has risen from Le500 to Le1,000 which is hundred percent. They are partly responsible what they call dryness.
Finally, all those who are involved in the various sins against God by worshipping or contacting other gods or demons (whatever their position in this nation) are responsible for all the negative trends the nation faces
Let us respond to the call for national prayer and fasting that God in his mercy will raise his nation to higher heights.