Akporotu Otaghogho: The voices in our heads

by Akporotu Otaghogho

Hello Again!
Long time no…., whatever it is we do, I missed you, where did you go? Did you leave or did I? maybe it was both, nor neither. It doesn’t matter. My question for today is, “how do you live a healthy life in Nigeria?”. Eat well, sleep well, take vitamins & supplements? Well I think it’s minding your business.

So forgive me for not living a healthy life by intruding in your business once again. But I have heard and seen certain things that disturbs my soul and I cannot keep quiet any longer. I walked past a television set that was tuned to Emmanuel TV. The prophet, Prophet T.B Joshua was performing the sacrament of exorcism on a man. The demon had been tormenting him for 12 years (in my mind 12 years a slave). After asking my mom if it was okay I turn off the generator set, I headed for the television. Just before the TV went off, the man confessed “A voice kept commanding him to do evil things he never wanted to do”. I turned off the tv set and the generator and went to bed.

As I laid on my bed, I remembered while I was in a friend’s wedding reception. The lady sitting next to me, had earlier revealed she had a huge sum of money in her purse when she brought out her cellphone to answer a call. She suddenly stood up and went outside, leaving her purse behind under no ones care (and protection). Who would have done that? But this lady. Like the man in the testimony, “a voice spoke to me, take her purse and go home”. I went home but not with her purse or the money in it.

So I stood up from my bed and decided to write this. The voices in our heads often represented in cartoons as little angels or devils that sits upon our shoulders. Some identify with it and feel it is them.

    • The voice that tells you to shoot your victim after he has given you all his money. (Daddy.T.A may your soul rest in perfect peace Amen!).
    • The voice that tells you Western Education is a sin.
    • The voice that tells you to hypnotise little children, using them as suicide bombers.
    • The voice that tells you that innocent 6 year old school child, is what you want to use for money rituals. (tear drops)
    • The voice that tells you more profit can be gained by mixing little fuel and kerosene. Many have been disfigured, some dead, because of you “black marketers’’ (Ada, wherever you are, we still love and miss you dearly. You are not forgotten).
    • The voice that tells you to attend to dying patients whenever you like. Three more minutes and lives would have been saved. (Ose, you are forever in our hearts).
    • The voice that tells you, gatemen, houseboys and housegirls are to be treated like slaves. (No, they are your employees).
    • The voice that tells you lecturer, students must first pay money before getting good grades in your course. (does hard work still pay? IN THIS NIGERIA?).
    • The voice that tells you that pastor, it’s okay to lure 13 year olds into your inner chambers. (“Not every one that says lord! Lord! shall enter into my kingdom”).
    • The voice that tells you, that lady it’s okay to wear “hour-glass dress” to your pastor’s house.
    • The voice that tells you it’s okay to have six children with your 25K salary and your husband has no job. (YES! Children are the leaders of tomorrow, but they need good feeding and education. Please, the economy is already in recession).
    • The voice that tells you your neighbor’s 12 year old daughter is matured enough for you to…….

I must stop here for I am now of a person, having eyes filled with tears; inclined to cry. The world’s moral compass is broken, how do we find the path back home? The evil men do, even the devil weeps. Life is tough for everyone, where do you get your strength to carry on. May the Lord be above us to bless us, behind us to protect us from the evil ones and in front of us as our moral compass.
AMEN!!!!


This entry was submitted as part of the Nigerian Voices competition organized by YNaija.com.

We publish, un-edited, Nigerians telling the stories of their everyday lives. Read all the narratives daily on the Nigerian Voices vertical. You can also contribute your own story titled ‘Nigerian Voices’ to [email protected].
Author: Akporotu Otaghogho

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