Among Pentecostal Christians worldwide, giving a ‘testimony’ or mounting the pulpit to announce to the whole congregation assembled in a church about the significant favours God has bestowed on one, either as an individual believer or a group or as a member of a family, is considered a very important part of worship. I do not know whether testimonies were even a part of worship of the early church led by the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ not to talk of them being a very important part of it as is the case now. For us in modern times, a high premium is placed on this activity and some appreciable portion of time is allocated to it for it is believed that a church without testimonies is one where members do not feel the presence of God or his awesomeness in their lives.
Among Nigerian Pentecostals, one ‘testimony’’ that attracts the widest cheers of solidarity with the testifier is one about securing a visa for a trip abroad especially in Europe or the USA for business or schooling or for emigration for a permanent residence in those places.
Sometimes when the service is over, some worshippers go over to shake hands with such a ‘lucky’ testifier in the belief that the handshaker will spiritually ‘claim’ a portion of the good luck that that blessed person carries. Women, young men and women look at such testifiers with open admiration, if not outright envy. I, on my part, feel very sorry for my country when such testimonies are given. In them, Nigeria is usually treated like a poor, broke destitute father who is rejected by many aggrieved, deprived and neglected children.
The other Sunday, I attended a service in one church. A man was at the rostrum testifying. His wife, the man began, is already abroad and working there. He, the testifying man, and the children are here at home. The family arrangement is that he and the children left sorrowfully here have to fight to secure visas in order to join madam triumphantly over there. He, he said, has, in the past few months, managed to miraculously get his own almighty visa to go ‘over there’. The trouble for this family is that for some time now they have been battling spiritedly to secure the visas for the children. He was building us the congregation up to a predictable climax. He did not say so in words. But for those of us who know from the experiences of millions of Nigerians who battle to japa abroad (migrate) the man was on the rostrum to break that dramatic climax and the told us a few second later the excited good news that after a long fought battle, he has managed to get the visas for the children and that very soon they will emigrate to that European country. The whole church erupted into a rapturous joy for the lucky man, his wife and children!
While testimony itself is an aspect of returning thanks to God for the good done us, which is a good conduct because the saying goes that appreciation given to God and to man is an application for more, I see the particular testimony about leaving Nigeria to become what is a guaranteed second class citizenship in another man’s country as an act of ingratitude to God for this blessed land which He has carved out for us a country of our own even if we have not managed the place well for us to enjoy it rather than seeking persistently to jump to other places which the people of those lands have made them to become an envy to us.
The question I ask no one in particular is: who can I leave this country for? I tell myself that am I not one of the owners of this country? Who is better placed than myself that I should leave the country for? In fact, I do not feel envious towards those who are leaving the country. I rather feel sorry for them. Why do I say so? There is the story of a former bank manager in this country who sold everything he had, fought very hard and secured a visa and travelled to an European country. He arrived and after some days all he could get was a job to clean toilets, admittedly, with more sophisticated equipment! But the fact remained that the man was a toilet cleaner nevertheless.
Another question I ask myself is: are those countrymen and women I am leaving Nigeria for in vexation are the people better trained and better equipped than myself to develop the country?
As far as my patriotic feeling is concerned, testimony about abandoning my country because things are not working well is a no achievement at all. It is, to me, a very dubious achievement, if it is an achievement and not a grave self- indictment. If my country is not working well, the blame cannot be attributed to others as seems to be case with all those who are apaing. What have I failed to do well that the country is not running well? Is it my corruption or non -action against the corruption of others if I have no blame in corruption myself? Is it laziness on my part? What crimes or wrongdoings that I and others that I know of have failed to do that I am complicit in? I also ask myself: have I been working hard but not so smartly enough? Have I not laid emphasis on merit but succumbed to the inclination to bring my tribes men and women on board when I know full well that they do not have the required expertise to give of their best to my nation?
Have I turned a blind eye to those who are corrupt and unpatriotic? Have foreigners bribed me so they can have a piece or all of what belongs to my country and can help her to become great among the comity of nations? Those who join the bandwagon in chorusing that things are not working well in Nigeria as they should, what personal steps have they taken to ensure that things are brilliantly done in Nigeria? Is it angels that will come down from heaven to get things done well in Nigeria?
There are two things that worry me about going abroad to become a citizen of another country and begin a new way of life. One, it shows that I am a lazy fellow who wants to go and enjoy what others have laboured for. The Europeans and the Americans have laboured hard to make their countries attractive to you. Why can’t you labour hard to make Nigeria attractive to others even if they are Africans like us?
Well, let those who want to go and submit themselves to voluntary self-enslavement go some of us will remain here to make Nigeria great. I tell my children daily that if I am going abroad anywhere it is only when I am given a respectful and well- paying job to offer service to humanity. I know the stuff I am made of.
