BY VICTOR IZEKOR
In his prophecy on Nigeria after 50 years of missionary sojourn in the country, a Briton, Sydney Granville Elton, pointed out that Nigeria would undergo two crucial phases as a nation.
The missionary came to Nigeria in 1937 building lives, mentoring and raising leaders for the Nigerian Church. He died in 1987.
In 1986, Granville Elton (popularly called Pa Elton) predicted that Nigeria would experience two crucial phases in the course of her existence.
The first phase would depict a nation of stinking corruption worldwide while the second phase would celebrate the country as a nation of ‘Righteousness’.
As a nation of righteousness, people of the world would hold firm to a Nigerian and say “we want to follow you to your nation to go and learn righteousness.”
These facts are contained in the editorial opinion of the February – March 2023 edition of the Light Bearer the widely read Nigeria’s Foremost Christian Newspaper printed in Jos.
The editorial opinion titled, “It Is Time” is reproduced in the latter part of this article to buttress the prophecy of Pa Elton.
Looking at the all-embracing horrible, stinking, debasement of morals and decency, god fatherism, indignities, looting of the nation resources in cash and kind, over-invoicing, open violation of the accepted norms and the filthy rest, the first phase prediction of Pa Elton is already here and at the cruising height – corruption galore.
All segments of the society are involved. Daily, Nigeria gravitates more into corruption.
In the words of Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Mathew Kukah “We saw the ugliest phase of corruption in Buhari’s administration” neither has this abated. Nigeria has lost her moral compass due to the unquantifiable height of corruption and indignities. While focused nations are celebrating achievements Nigeria is celebrating with impunity and corruption both vertically and horizontally.”
Coming home to Pa Elton’s prophecy, one may rightly say Nigeria is experiencing the first part of his prophecy where corruption is deep rooted and has become the order of the day.
We all are involved as the nation has become that of shepherds and disciples of corruption.
However, notwithstanding the endemic corruption that has engulfed the nation, there are still Nigerians (though few) that can beat their chest and raise their heads above the water that they are the incorruptible ones.
As stated, we are living witnesses to ocean galore of corruption Nigerians are currently having their ignoble bath. As often stated, if we do not fight corruption, corruption will fight and destroy us.
With the deep-rooted corruption that has eaten into the fabric of the nation, is there any hope for Nigeria? Yes, there is hope going by the prophecy of Pa Elton. According to his prophecy, “after the stinks emerges the “righteousness” which will be the glorious dawn of Nigeria.
“All segments of the society are involved. Daily, Nigeria gravitates more into corruption”
Then comes the question that rattles my mind. We all and in particular my generation are now witnessing the filthy nation called Nigeria, shall we be privileged to be partakers of the predicted righteous Nigeria which would be the envy of the world? The questions no one, but God can answer.
As stated earlier in the editorial captioned “It is Time” in relation to the matter in discourse is hereby reproduce for emphasis:
“It is time”
“In 1986, a British Missionary who came to Nigeria in 1937, Pa Sydney Granville Elton (popularly known as Pa Elton) a year before his death in 1987, had given a prophecy about Nigeria. Having served for about 50 years as a missionary in Nigeria building lives, mentoring and raising leaders for the Nigeria church, his prophecy is believed by many to be the true picture of what Nigeria is going through now and the future.
“Pa Elton had prophesied that, “Nigeria and Nigerians will be known all over the world for corruption. Your name – Nigeria will stink for corruption but after a while, a new phase will come – a phase of righteousness.
People from the nations of the earth will hold a Nigerian and say, “we want to follow you to your nation to go and learn righteousness.
“True to his prophecy, one may not be wrong to say Nigeria is very much in the first part of the prophecy where corruption is the order of the day.
“According to Transparency International (TI), the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) scored Nigeria 24 out of 100 points, ranking it 154 out of 180 countries surveyed, falling back five places from the rank of 149 in 2020 placing it as the second most corrupt country in West Africa.
“Though the President Muhammadu Buhari APC led-government had come to power on the promise to fight corruption but disappointingly eight years after, corruption has gotten worse in the country.
“A special report from Premium Times has it that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has investigated 31 state governors for corruption and taken 11 of them to court, but the agency has recorded only two convictions, both of them who were pardoned without completing their sentences.
“There are also corrupt cases of public office holders like Abdulrasheed Maina, the Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team accused of looting N195 billion. The Police Pension Fund Fraud of N32.8 billion where the former Director of Police Pension Fund, Mr. Esai Dangabar and others were implicated.
“Farouk Lawan, a House of Representatives member was caught on tape collecting $620,000 out of $3 million bribe as he and his committee investigated the fuel subsidy scam. There is also the kerosene subsidy scam, the oil theft in the Niger Delta in which Nigeria is said to lose about 600,000 barrels of crude daily in which security officials, top government functionaries and some prominent people are said to be involved. These and many more corrupt cases continue to remain unattended to by the government and thus embolden others to be involved in other corrupt practices like cybercrime, fraud, illegal deals in oil products, money laundering, bribery, misappropriation of public funds and most recently the Naira redesign, where the new naira notes are hoarded by some bank managers and sold to politicians, who plan to buy votes at election and owners of Point of Sales, sell the new naira notes at exorbitant interest rate.
“However, the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration claims “great strides in its fight against corruption despite the damning misappropriation of public funds, frauds and other corrupt practices which continue to give Nigeria and innocent Nigerians a bad name.
“Fortunately, there is a second part of the prophecy of Pa Elton which promises a phase of righteousness, which will exalt the nation and attract honour and greatness to Nigeria. As a nation, Nigeria has ranked high in corruption for too long and it is now time to move on to a ‘Phase of righteousness,’ which the church in Nigeria can birth through Jesus Christ.
As the Body of Christ in Nigeria prays and hopes for the birth of a new Nigeria, it must grow in its preaching of faith in Jesus Christ, which frees one from the power of sin and corruption and returns one to a righteous relationship with God.
“Nigerian Christians must also resolve to show example by living holy lives free from corruption. The Church in Nigeria has severally been challenged that if half of its members live right then Nigeria’s corruption ranking would have dropped drastically.
“So it now behooves on the body of Christ in Nigeria, the people called by God’s name to humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways and seek God, who will surely heal Nigeria and bring a rain of righteousness.
“But if the churches choose otherwise and follow the multitude out of corruption to seek leaders and positions for selfish gains then the days of corruption will be prolonged and the phase of righteousness though it has been prophesied will remain a mirage.”
.Izekor is a journalist and public affairs analyst and writes at victorizekor@gmail.com
