Two days ago, mankind celebrated the anniversary of the coming and the unveiling of the Light made manifest in a human being in our midst. I am referring to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of the Most High God, A Part of Him, which explains His Sonship. “The Father is in Me and I am in the Father; the Father and I are One,” He did say. The other Part is the Justice Arm, the Holy Spirit Whose true Identity is veiled to billions of human beings till this day, or so they believe. He is also a Son, the Third Arm, both swinging in Holy Trinity with the Father. Thus, Christ is on the right Hand of God the Father as His Love and the Holy Spirit on the left Hand of the Godhead as His Executive Justice. God is, therefore, both Love and Justice, and Purity.

Jesus was born in Palestine, among the Jews. Ironically, the Palestinians and the Jews have been at each and one another’s throat for centuries, indeed for more than three thousand years. As of now a most devastating, most ruthless war with the most mindless destruction in humans and property as harvests has been raging between the two peoples going to two years. Hardly is it ever remembered that not until the death of Solomon the proverbial wise king and the mounting of the throne by David was Palestine divided into two Kingdoms. Jeroboam founded the Kingdom of Israel with 10 tribes and his brother, Rehoboam established the Kingdom of Judea with two, with Jerusalem as its capital. Bethlehem is in Judea, on the Judean Mountains, six miles (10 kilometres) south of Jerusalem and 45 miles (73 kilometres) northeast of today’s beleaguered Gaza City and the Mediterranean Sea. Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem for census and could not find a more befitting accommodation than the stable. Joseph was able to prove that he was descended from David, and therefore had a share in the ancestral possession of what was called the Davidic family. The property situations in Israel and the Roman census necessitated Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem. It thus came to pass that the Lord Jesus would be born in the City of David.

“But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.” The prophecy of Micah (5:2).

Ernest Schmitt writing on the Historical, Political and Religious Aspect of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ states: “Their forefather Abraham was already so far developed spiritually as to be able to receive and hand down to his descendants the revelation of the Supreme and Only God, Jehovah. Through this they were prepared and made ready to receive the Will of God in the form of the Ten Commandments. Those so blest had thus been shown the Light-Way, and had been offered a Covenant, the upholding of which guaranteed them support of all the Laws of Creation that had arisen in the Living Will of God.”

Schmitt goes on: “A chain of spiritual guides strove to preserve among the people the memory of their unique destiny, and the high responsibility arising from it before God and men. Prophets exhorted and warned in fearless dedication. They branded the transgression of the commandments. They roused the people, and untiringly showed them the ruinous consequences of becoming lukewarm and turning away from God.

“The human spirits in whose midst the promised Messiah was to incarnate were carefully led and prepared. According to Eternal Light-Laws this could only happen in the spiritually most highly developed people, who at least to some extent showed certain homogeneity, thus offering a suitable soil to the Light-Anchorage.”

And so Jesus the Lord was born in Bethlehem in Judea. Angels jubilantly accompanied Him and stayed for 40 days. There was rejoicing in the firmament, in all spheres of Creation that help was come, anchored for the redemption and salvation of sinking mankind. The Lord Jesus brought the Truth about life and existence as only He and the Holy Spirit as Parts of the Father could. The picture of what happened on the Holy Night that Christ was born in Bethlehem was captured most glaringly in the unique Work, “In the Light of Truth,” The Grail Message. Because of the uniqueness of that Night’s happening, I wish to copiously extract quotes from The Grail Message of Abd-ru-shin in the hope this will trigger deep reflections. Hitherto, Christmas has been marked more in revelry than beneficial thinking and reflecting even in the face of accelerating spread of devastating mess our world is plunged daily. Why did Christ come? What about his gruesome death on the Cross? Was it a licence for mankind to go on sinning? Questions, questions and questions! It is he who has reservations about life and existence and begins to ask questions that is at the point of seeking the Truth of life!

The Grail Message says of the Night the Lord was born in Bethlehem: “Holy Night! Exultant singing in jubilant gratitude once streamed through all the spheres of Creation when the Son of God Jesus was born in the stable in Bethlehem! And shepherds in the fields, from whose eyes the bandage was removed during the joyous upheaval of the universe, so that they could bear witness to this immense happening and thus call people’s attention to it, fell upon their knees apprehensively because they were overwhelmed by what was so new and incomprehensive to them.

“It was fear on the part of the shepherds, who for this purpose were temporarily made clairvoyant and clairaudient. Fear of the greatness of the happening, of the Omnipotence of God thus made manifest! For this reason the herald from the Luminous Heights first spoke to them reassuringly: “Be not afraid!”

“Whenever a herald from the Luminous Heights speaks to human beings you will ever again find these words, for it is fear that earthmen always perceive first when seeing and hearing heralds from on high. This is called forth by the pressure of the power, to which they are also opened a little in such moments. But only to the smallest part, for anything more would surely smother them.

“And yet it should be joy, not fear, as soon as the spirit of man strives for the Luminous Heights!

“In those days people believed the shepherds, at least for a short period! Today, such people are only derided, considered eccentric, or even as impostors wishing to obtain earthly benefits thereby! For mankind has sunk far too deeply to be still able to accept calls from the Luminous Heights as genuine, especially when they themselves cannot hear or see anything…

“Do you really believe, men, that on account of your great downfall God will now set aside the perfect Laws in Creation just to serve you, to bridge over your faults Himself, and to balance your spiritual indolence? The Perfection of His Laws in Creation is and will always remain inviolable, immutable; for they bear the Holy Will of God!”

In the spirit of questioning, my colleague and friend, Femi Kusa with whom a great many would take oath that I share the same world view, was to forward his contemplation about this season to me to reinforce the imperative of deep reflection, which I find thought-provoking for wider reflection. In what he captions Christmas: Some thoughtful questions, he writes:

Every Christmas season, as in every Easter season, I retreat from bread and butter life, including revelry, to retreat as well in spirit as a Christian, ask myself certain questions and deepen my recognitions of faith. Over the years, I have found that the same questions or similar ones have not left many Christians in peace in whose souls and spirit kernels the longing for the Truth still burns bright. I feel inwardly urged to share some of these questions today.

Question: Where did this Star, The Star of Bethlehem, come from? If it was one of the stars in the firmament, with a defined orbit, why has  it not returned since Jesus ascended to Heaven?

Answer: The Star of Bethlehem did not come from our Universe, Ephesus, which is one of the seven universes in the world. In Creation “geography”, the world is not our earth. It comprises those regions and spheres of existence which lie between the lowest realm of Paradise and our earth. It is a training ground for human spirit seed germs sent out of Paradise to gather experience which will make them mature enough during their wandering for re-admission to Paradise as useful Human Spirit Beings. The world comprises seven universes of which our own is one. It is to them that John the Baptist’s address in the Book of Revelation is directed when he says: ”To the seven churches of Asia”. He did not mean a Christian organization and a continent on earth. Here churches refer to the seven universes of the world, and Asia is the spiritual name for the world. The Star of Bethlehem came from the highest of the 14 spiritual realms known as Paradise. If we perfect ourselves on earth to become Human Spirit Beings, we would be admitted to the lowest of these 14 spiritual realms. The Spiritual Beings in the seven highest realms never had to come to the world or to the earth to mature. They are the Primordial Beings created by God in His Image. We human beings on earth are to develop after their likeness. We are not the direct Creation of God Who, being Perfection, can never create imperfection.

The Star of Bethlehem is not part of our universe, Ephesus or from any other. Rather, it came from the highest Spiritual Realm of Paradise to usher in on earth the Age of the Son or Age of the Love of God, Jesus. It brought greetings from the Almighty Father to His Son on earth. The Age before that one was the Age of the Father, dated from the time of Abraham when humanity on earth had become mature enough to come to the recognition of the One Supreme God. This was after a step by step recognition of Nature Beings, elemental beings, Lords of the Elementals and Spiritual (Created or Developed) Beings. Each Age is subject to the Law of the Cycle. Every event in our personal lives is a cycle, the time it opens and the time it ends, like day and night or birth and death. Time is allotted to everything. The coming into being of the earth is also an event which has a terminal period in the Law of the Cycle.

As the closing of the cycle of Earth approached, and with many of us still trapped in earthly enjoyments and lusts with the possibility of our being lost in the inevitable dissolution of the Earth under this Law, The Love of God became substantiate in the Person of the Lord Jesus to forewarn us of the impending doom and to teach us what we had to do to escape damnation. There was jubilation in Paradise when this Divine Mission was announced to the inhabitants, the clarified, perfected Spirits. On their own, they had been of not much help in the various missions of the Prophets. In Paradise, many spiritual Beings volunteered to support the Divine Mission. They were specially chosen, anointed and prepared for their tasks in their duty posts. 

The Grail Message says, for example: “the Star became physically visible, but nobody on earth saw this luminous herald and the luminous hosts surrounding him. None saw and heard this but the few shepherds chosen for the purpose, who through their simplicity and close connection with Nature could be most easily opened to receive it. 

“And such great revelations on earth can never take place other than through a few chosen for the purpose! Remember this always!”     

The Mission was a sort of “war”, though peaceful, to salvage humanity from fallen Lucifer (the fallen Archangel) who was misleading them toward perdition. War because the political and priestly establishments or their agents lay in wait in nearly every place—those He said would not go in and would not allow others to do so, blocking ways with creeds!

Four Wise Men, each representing a Pillar of Creation were chosen. Remember the four Winged Animal Beings at the foot of God’s Throne! The Four Wise Men were prepared to recognise The Star of Bethlehem in the sky over Bethlehem as Greetings from the Father to His Son on Earth. They were also endowed with property and influence and were to always, protecting, be around Him. Three of them made it to Bethlehem when the Star shone. The fourth was unable to immediately able to join them. By the time he arrived in Bethlehem, the three had been done with Baby Jesus, abandoned their duty post, gone to King Herod to announce what they were to have kept a secret from him, inadvertently setting up a chain of reactions in which several newborn male children were killed in King Herod’s lust for power, ignited from the background by Lucifer. Meanwhile, Joseph, advised by an Angel in a Vision, had taken Mary and Baby Jesus in hiding in Egypt. All these events teach us Christians and persons in other religions who stand in serious duty posts to never lower their guards.

Meanwhile, the Star of Bethlehem returned to its Home in Paradise. The cycle of events It opened on Earth about three thousand years ago will be closed by the Great Comet, another Spiritual Star from the same Origin, the same Height. The Great Comet will open the cycle of the Age of the Holy Spirit. The Great Comet is exactly of the same nature as the Star of Bethlehem. While the Star of Bethlehem heralded love, this time the Great Comet is heralding the judgment as the Handmaiden of the Holy Spirit Who is the Justice of the Almighty God. “The Star takes its course in a straight line from the Eternal Realm” of Primordial Spirit. Its core is filled with high spiritual power. Its first direct effects have already begun such as the extra-ordinary events of these times. We are told the Great Comet would suck up waters of the earth ‘’high up’’, create flooding even in unusual places, cause catastrophic climate changes, cause lands to sink and sunken lands to rise, overturn every wrong principles and more.  Several predictions of this Age have been made. The Lord Jesus forewarned us of the Task of the Holy Spirit when He said this Personality we little understand would not forgive sins against Him whereas the Father and the Love of God, Jesus, would forgive sins against them. This should forewarn us that the Holy Spirit created the World and will judge it according to law, however we may have deluded ourselves with teachings that the Blood of Jesus had washed us clean of our sins. Did the parables of the Lord Jesus say such a thing? Does the Revelation not say we have to wash our dirty linen clean? “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the city by the gates. (Rev. 22: 14). Thou shall not get out of thence until thou hath paid the last farthing! 

Questions, questions and questions and misconceptions, all of which we must be able to clear up convincingly if we must make progress in our quest and ascent to the Spiritual Realm, Paradise, the destination of our return journey back Home.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

God’s Truth as a Defense: Farotimi Appeals for Divine Reckoning on Bola Tinubu, Afe Babalola, CJN, Ekiti Magistrate, Ekiti Police Commissioner, Nigeria’s IGP, and Other Oppressive Leaders Defying Justice and Fairness

During the sacred season of Christmas, Dele Farotimi’s powerful declarations take on profound spiritual significance as he places his faith in God to confront the systemic oppression he describes as Nigeria’s “evil empire.” Without directly naming his plea, Farotimi invokes the Almighty to act against entrenched powers that perpetuate injustice and suffering, turning to divine intervention as the ultimate reckoning for a system that thrives on corruption and cruelty.

With the resounding statement, “God told me that the truth is enough. It is the only weapon with which you can slay the monster called Nigeria under Tinubu,” Farotimi shifts the fight from human hands to divine judgment. Referencing the themes in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, his call resonates with those abandoned by leadership and systems that prioritize power over humanity, subtly asking for God to bring the sorrow, reckoning, and justice that earthly institutions under oppressive and evil leaders have failed to provide. Farotimi’s plea reflects the collective yearning for accountability and hope in a higher power to dismantle a system built on oppression.

Invoking Divine Justice Against an Oppressive System

In a fearless and spiritually charged declaration during the sacred Christmas season, human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi placed his faith in God to bring justice to those he described as architects of Nigeria’s “evil empire.” His words, resonating with the themes of hope, truth, and redemption, invoked divine intervention to confront the oppressive powers that have sought to silence him.

“God told me that the truth is enough. It is the only weapon with which you can slay the monster called Nigeria under Tinubu, which is the truth,” Farotimi proclaimed. These words carried profound spiritual weight as Farotimi entrusted his fight to the Almighty, implicitly calling on God to hold accountable President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, legal luminary Afe Babalola, Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Ekiti State Police Commissioner, and the magistrate presiding over his case.

The Nigeria Evil Game: Gagging Truth but Not God

As part of their coordinated strategy to suppress him, Farotimi was subjected to harsh bail conditions, including a directive from the magistrate that he refrain from speaking to the media—a blatant attempt to muzzle his voice. Yet, Farotimi made it clear that while these powers may try to gag him, they cannot silence God. His defiance of their oppressive tactics reflected a belief that divine truth and justice cannot be restrained by human edicts.

He seems to be saying: “These powers can try to gag me, but they cannot gag God,” Farotimi implied as he spoke boldly of divine consequences. By invoking the Almighty, he shifted the burden of justice from flawed human institutions to a higher, incorruptible authority. His words called for God to bring relentless pain, unending sorrow, and devastating reckoning to those who perpetuate injustice. Farotimi’s invocation extended to the hope that those responsible would face anguish that pierces their comfort, despair that dismantles their strongholds, and ruin that reveals the depth of their corruption. His plea reflected a belief that divine power not only surpasses the reach of oppressive earthly systems but obliterates them with consequences they cannot escape. His implicit plea for divine intervention underscored an unshakable faith that no earthly power could withstand the unyielding force of truth when wielded by a power greater than all.

An Ordeal of Systemic Oppression and Divine Reckoning

Farotimi’s ordeal highlights the extraordinary and alarming lengths to which these powers have gone to silence him over a civil matter of alleged defamation or cybercrime. Stemming from his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, Farotimi was forcibly taken from his Lagos law office in a dramatic abduction orchestrated by the Ekiti State Police Commissioner, acting under the supervision of the Inspector General of Police (IGP). Held without bail for nearly four weeks, his persecution intensified with efforts to strip him of his law license. In an act widely condemned as excessive and unjust, the magistrate, responding to what critics have deemed a ludicrous request, issued a restraining order banning his book entirely. This chain of events exemplifies the oppressive measures wielded to suppress dissent and silence truth, all under the pretense of upholding the law.

Despite these oppressive measures, Farotimi placed his fight in the hands of God, asking for divine justice to bring sorrow and retribution to those aligned against him. His faith was not merely a personal solace but a declaration that the consequences for such systemic evil would come directly from God.

“Let God Bring Pain and Sorrow”: A Call for Divine Consequences

Farotimi’s implicit plea was not for human retaliation but for God to act decisively against his oppressors. “God, deal with them with pain, sorrow, and terrible effect,” he seemed to say, as he confronted the entrenched forces of oppression. He did not mince words in suggesting that the reckoning would be severe—measured in sorrow, despair, and divine retribution for those who wield power to silence truth.

This was not a wish for simple punishment but a call for transformative pain—one that would expose the lies, break the systems of oppression, and bring unbearable consequences to those who believe they are untouchable. His words carried the weight of a man certain that the Almighty would ensure justice in ways no earthly system could resist or contain.

Christmas as a Season of Truth and God’s Judgement

Farotimi’s declaration during the Christmas season lent his message a profound spiritual resonance. This sacred time, dedicated to the triumph of light over darkness and truth over lies, underscored the depth of his faith in divine justice. By invoking God during this season, Farotimi aligned his struggle with the universal themes of renewal and moral reckoning, presenting his fight as part of a greater spiritual battle.

His words reflected the belief that God’s judgment would strike where it was most needed: dismantling the systems of oppression and bringing sorrow to those who use power for evil. The Christmas spirit amplified his call, reminding all that divine justice cannot be delayed or denied. Farotimi’s faith in this ultimate reckoning was a rallying cry for those left broken by a system that thrives on their suffering.

Tinubu’s Endorsement of Injustice Leaves Families Homeless

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s public praise for FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, despite the latter’s widely condemned actions of demolishing homes sometimes without due process, reflects a chilling indifference to the plight of Nigeria’s most vulnerable. Entire families, including children, have been rendered homeless under policies that prioritize power over people. This blatant disregard for justice and humanity underscores the systemic evil that Dele Farotimi has courageously spoken against.

For families forced into the streets, with their lives reduced to rubble, Farotimi’s plea for God’s intervention becomes not just justified but urgent. His call for divine justice to strike these oppressors with sorrow, pain, and reckoning is a reflection of a nation’s despair as its leaders fail to protect the most basic rights of its citizens. Tinubu’s endorsement of such inhumane acts further cements the narrative of a governance model steeped in oppression, making Farotimi’s reliance on divine justice a powerful symbol for the oppressed.

Families Betrayed, A Nation Turns to God

The demolition of homes without due process, the rising insecurity, and the crushing poverty inflicted by government policies have left families across Nigeria with no hope in human institutions. These actions betray not just individual lives but the very fabric of a society that should protect its most vulnerable.

As Farotimi declared, “We have only God.” His plea for divine justice, for God to bring devastating consequences to those who wield power to harm, echoes the cries of children and families abandoned by a system designed to oppress. Farotimi’s unwavering faith in divine reckoning offers a glimmer of hope for those left homeless and hopeless, a belief that the Almighty will intervene to dismantle a system steeped in cruelty and corruption.

By highlighting the failures of leadership and the unchecked abuse of power, Farotimi has drawn a line between earthly oppression and divine accountability. His trust in God’s judgment as the ultimate force to bring sorrow and justice upon the oppressors reflects a profound conviction that truth and faith will prevail where human systems have failed.

Inhuman Indifference: Tinubu’s Response to Stampede Tragedies

Farotimi’s plea for divine justice finds greater resonance in light of President Tinubu’s response to the recent stampedes that left over 60 people, including children, dead during palliative distributions. Tinubu shifted the blame to the “poor organisation” of these events, ignoring the deeper root causes—his administration’s harsh policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies, that have driven millions into extreme hunger and desperation.

Describing the incidents as “a grave error” by the organisers, Tinubu failed to acknowledge that it is his own governance that has forced Nigerians into such desperate conditions. His remarks, focusing on organisational failures and comparisons to structured food banks in developed nations, revealed an alarming indifference to the suffering caused by his policies.

Farotimi’s call for divine reckoning becomes a reflection of the collective anger and sorrow of a nation betrayed by its leaders. As leadership shifts blame while ignoring its role in creating this tragedy, Farotimi’s invocation of God’s justice stands as a powerful demand for accountability where human systems have failed.

A Divine Reckoning for the Oppressors

Farotimi’s plea is not merely a call for relief but a demand for divine retribution to confront those aligned with systemic injustice. His reliance on God to bring sorrow and pain to the perpetrators of oppression is a reflection of his unwavering faith that no human power can escape the consequences of divine justice. His words serve as a rallying cry for the oppressed to place their trust in God’s ability to right the wrongs inflicted by the powerful.

Faith Over Fear: Resisting Evil with Divine Power

Farotimi’s steadfast reliance on God in the face of systemic evil exemplifies courage and faith. Despite the coordinated attempts to silence him, he stands firm, trusting that the Almighty will deliver justice in ways that human systems cannot obstruct. His implicit call for divine intervention is a declaration that truth, guided by God, is the ultimate force for dismantling oppression.

The Spirit of Christmas: Justice Through God’s Hand

As the Christmas season reminds us of the power of faith, truth, and redemption, Farotimi’s reliance on divine justice serves as a testament to the enduring strength of the human spirit. His fight transcends personal grievances, becoming a broader call for God to illuminate the darkest corners of society and hold the oppressors accountable.

Farotimi’s words, steeped in faith and conviction, embody the belief that divine power will triumph over human injustice. His defiance stands as a powerful reminder that while human systems may try to suppress truth, they cannot escape the consequences of divine reckoning. Neither Farotimi nor this writer is directly asking for God’s punishment on these Nigerian powers that be; rather, it is a plea for God to observe and ensure justice unfolds, especially when justice appears unattainable from these powers. In his plea for God’s intervention, the spirit of Christmas finds profound expression—a call for sorrow and pain to be visited upon the oppressors as justice is delivered through God’s hand.

The New Year 2025 promises to be full of conflicts, most of them avoidable. The hottest spot might be in the Middle East where fierce proxy conflicts are going on with Israel at the centre. Only the naïve would think that the wars Israel has been involved are entirely fought by it, whereas that country is a proxy of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO.

It is backed by the war machine of the West mainly run by the United States, US, United Kingdom, UK and France. They provide Israel with intelligence, embedded soldiers, missiles and anti-missile shields, military hardware and, of course, funds. On August 13, 2024, the Department of State announced that the US alone had approved a $20 billion weapons package to Israel which includes advanced airto-air missiles and fighter jets.

Those countries also have their warships on the side of Israel. Such warships include the American USS Wasp, USS New York and USS Oak Hill while the UK has its Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. On its part, France, has the Languedoc and Alsace warships in the area which can come to Israel’s aid as it did when Iranian missiles were fired at Israel. This is why Israel is enabled to carry out genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, and attacks in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iran.

There is the senseless war in Sudan in which troops from the same armed forces, nationality, religion, language and culture are engaged in a siblings conflict. Its only parallel, in terms of stupidity, is the 36-year conflict in Somalia. Another that comes a bit close is the 13-year civil war in Libya ignited and controlled by NATO. In West Africa, the conflicts are mainly against terrorists and bandits with Nigeria being the main centre. Some of the countries, namely Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have entered into a military and economic alliance to fight the criminals.

They have also expelled France which not only exploits the situation in those countries, but also plays a double game. Partly for these reasons, countries like Chad and Senegal have joined in expelling the French military, while, disturbingly, Nigeria is getting closer to the same France. The conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, which became complicated when the USA, UK and Belgium organised the ouster and execution of founding Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba on January 17, 1961, are still raging.

The DRC’s main sin is that it has huge mineral resources. The low intensity combats in the Central African Republic, CAR, took ethnoreligious dimensions in 2013. It is still simmering. One country that has strenuously tried not to be involved in armed conflicts is China despite having territorial disputes with countries like Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, India, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. It has also refused to take the bait of the US to draw it into an economic war. China’s strength lies in this and advancing its economic interests and powers as is evident in the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS+ alliance.

A unique country that has strenuously avoided war and has tried to be friends with all humanity is Cuba. Apart from the April 1960 Bay of Pigs Invasion in which it defeated mercenaries from the US, and its unique sacrifice in fighting the Apartheid armed forces to free Africa from colonialism, Cuba has, since its 1959 revolution, avoided war. The only unique wars it has fought in many countries have been against diseases and pandemics like Ebola and COVID-19.

But the main challenge of Cuba is that the US treats it like a mortal enemy. Its primary sins include the fact that it is a mere 151 kilometres from the US city of Florida. Now, the US regards Cuba as its backyard and believes it must always control it. This, Cuba has heroically rejected, insisting on its sovereignty and freedom to run its own affairs. Secondly, Cuba in pre-revolutionary times was the playground of the US Mafia and the rich. The American elites have insisted on returning Cuba to that status.

Thirdly, Cuba in carrying out its revolution and insisting on its maintenance, is seen by the US establishment as a bad example in the hemisphere which must not be allowed to stand. Fourthly, the US sees Cuba as an inspiration to revolutions across the world. Fifthly, it sees Cuba as being very dangerous because it is socialist and, an ally of radical governments across the world. So, since 1962, the US has tried to squelch tiny Cuba which is a mere 109,884 kilometres or the size of the US state of Tennessee.

One of its main weapons against Cuba is to impose a blockage against it, stopping it from trading freely or running its business. On October 30, 2024 the United Nations General Assembly voted for the 32nd time that US ends its illegal 62- year economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba. The resolution, passed by 187-Member States, with only the US and Israel voting against, and Moldova abstaining, again reaffirmed the total support of the international community for the just struggle of the Cuban people and government.

But as it has done since 1992, the US continues to ignore the rest of humanity. This Christmas week marking the birth of Jesus Christ, known as the Prince of Peace, the Cuban nation decided to march in its capital city, Havana, to demand that the US brigandage and injustice against the Cuban people must be brought to an end. The peace march led by Cuban President Miguel Díaz Canel Bermudez and his successor, Raúl Castro Ruz, passed in front of the US embassy.

During the march, President Bermudez said: “We do not profess the slightest feeling of hatred against the American people. To the noble citizens of that country, we offer our full respect, and our hand is always extended to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood between the two peoples…but if the US persists in its efforts to undermine our sovereignty, our independence, our socialism, they will only find rebellion and intransigence.” The US message to Cuba is clear: when chosen by war, you’ve no right to choose peace.

There is no denying the fact that for many Nigerians, this is their bleakest Christmas ever. It is not because they have lost the zeal to celebrate. No! They simply cannot afford to even contemplate, not to talk of actually making merry in this triumphant season. Happiness has become a luxury in the land. Rather than celebrating, many Nigerians are mourning. That, in itself, is a tragedy.

But the bigger tragedy is the fact that despite the obvious sad realities, President Bola Tinubu continues to live in denial, refusing to accept the truth of our unpleasant circumstances. He has perfected the art of playing the ostrich, burying his head in the sand rather than face the reality which is a direct consequence of the policies of his presidency. Granted, the fact that he continues to deny the consequences of that reality is typical, yet his feigned pretence during his media chat on Monday is amoral.

It is difficult to say with any measure of certainty if Tinubu’s denial of the stark realities is a defense mechanism, a way of protecting himself from a truth that is too bitter to accept or if he truly believes that Nigeria is at the cusp of redemption. In his perfunctory ripostes to the questions thrown at him, he came across as an impervious leader who is disconnected from the prevailing sad realities.

Fielding questions from journalists at his Lagos residence on topics that included subsidy removal, tax bills, economic reforms, size of governance and corruption, Tinubu displayed an unbecoming cavalier attitude, pretending not to see a correlation between the policies of his administration, particularly the sudden removal of fuel subsidy, floating of the Naira and hiking of electricity tariff, and the country’s dire straits. These are policies that have led to an unprecedented cost of living crisis.

What is most disconcerting is the hypocrisy. He blamed the citizens for their financial woes, accusing them of ostentatiousness. Just like his Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who on April 6, 2024, accused Nigerians of lacking the culture of power consumption management, Tinubu chastised fellow citizens along the same line. “It is not negative to learn to manage. You learn to control your electricity bill, switch off the light, let’s learn to manage,” he said on Monday.

But good leaders lead by example, demonstrating the behaviours and values they expect from others. People are more likely to follow leaders who practise what they preach. Tinubu has not demonstrated that capacity. For instance, Nigerians agree on the need to cut the cost of governance. Tinubu has the largest cabinet ever. Yet, he would not countenance any idea of reducing the size of his bloated cabinet. “I am not prepared to reduce the size of my cabinet,” he told his interviewers. “I saw the need when I put them together. Don’t give someone an assignment they cannot fulfil.”

One of the areas he saw a need was in the creation of Ministry of Livestock Development. Before now, livestock development used to be a department in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security that already has two ministers. Creating another ministry out of the parent ministry is superfluous. It is like creating a Ministry of Football or Ministry of Lawn and Table Tennis as a substantive standalone ministry out of the Ministry of Sports Development. The President knows this for a fact. Yet he had to fritter away scarce resources on the altar of prebendal politics.

It is needless talking about his take on corruption because I doubt if there is any discerning Nigerian that will expect him to wage a vigorous war against corruption. Suffice it to say that it is highly disingenuous for the leader of a political party that made a song and dance of prosecuting former top military officers, including a former National Security Adviser, for allegedly stealing public funds while in office, to now say that he will not probe “any service chief,” because doing so will be tantamount to disrespecting the military institution.

But what I found most distasteful was the attempt to deflate the criticism of his government’s harsh economic policies for the fatal stampedes that occurred in Oyo, Anambra and Abuja last week claiming the lives of scores of hapless citizens mostly women and children.

On December 18, 35 children were confirmed dead during a stampede at a funfair event in Ibadan, Oyo State capital; on December 21, ten people, including children, also died in another stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Maitama district of Abuja during the distribution of palliatives; at least another 22 people died during a rice distribution event in Okija, Anambra State, on the same day. 

Blaming the organisers of the charity events for the fatalities, Tinubu said he has been sharing palliatives in his Lagos residence for 25 years without an incident. “It is very sad that people are not well organised. We just have to be more disciplined in our society… I have been giving out foodstuff and commodities, including envelopes in Bourdillon, for the last 25 years, and I have never experienced this kind of incident because we are organised and disciplined. If you know you won’t have enough to give, don’t attempt to give or publicise it.”

That is most uncharitable. While it is true that he has been giving out foodstuff, commodities and money to his cronies for the last 25 years without any ugly incident, it is also true that the Catholic Church through the St. Vincent de Paul society, Chief Ernest Obiejesi and his ObiJackson Foundation, and even Queen Naomi and her Wings Foundation have also been organising such charity events without fatal stampedes.

The Catholic Church is, perhaps, one of the most organised groups in the world. There was the presence of policemen and local vigilante at the Okija event. The difference between what happened this year and previous years is that Tinubu’s administration has pushed many more people into the poverty loop, orchestrating extreme hunger in the land. The uncertainty has made the desperation worse. Poverty has a way of robbing people of their dignity. When possible starvation is added to the toxic brew, life becomes meaningless.

The difference between what happened in previous years and what is happening now is captured in the lamentations of Amarachi Nwosu, a 32-year-old woman, who miraculously survived the stampede with his three-year-old son Obinna at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church grounds on Saturday.

“It has been hard. The cost of food is unbearable. Even a cup of rice is now a luxury for us. I didn’t even know what was happening. I just wanted to get food for my children. I thank God we survived. But what do we eat now?”

Eighteen-year-old Terngu Nyam, who survived with a broken arm, went there for the sake of his starving family. “I just wanted to help my mother. We’ve been struggling to eat one meal a day. I didn’t think this would happen.”

Tinubu should not talk down on organisations, churches and individuals who are helping to clear the mess he has made of governance by seeking ways of easing economic hardship caused by a cost-of-living crisis.

What is leading to these tragedies is not lack of organisation. It is the sheer number of people who are now turning up for palliatives because of the mass poverty and starvation. Some of these people had waited overnight to get food. For instance, Amarachi arrived at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church grounds in Maitama from her Mararaba home, a distance of about 25 kilometres around 5am. That is desperation.

These deadly crowd crushes have become a recurring decimal under Tinubu’s watch. In March, two students died and 23 were hurt as thousands of people gathered for bags of rice being handed out by authorities at Nasarawa State University. Four women were killed later the same month outside the office of a wealthy businessman in Bauchi, where they were waiting to collect a cash gift of N5,000 to help pay for food during Ramadan.

In any other country where almost 70 people, mostly women and children are trampled to death, the government will declare a day of national mourning and the national flag will fly at half-mast. Not in Nigeria. Instead, Tinubu said: “I see this as a grave error on the part of the organisers, but things are improving. It doesn’t kill our happiness for the season; we should just get on with it.”

Which things are improving? And where is the happiness when over 70 families have been thrown into deep mourning as a result of circumstances beyond their control?

Tinubu and his supporters may continue living in denial, but the fact is that these fatal stampedes are a direct consequence of the cost of living crisis in the country caused by the fiscal and monetary policies of his government in the last 18 months. Living in denial will not take away that fact.