Year 2020: The Year Of A Walk Through The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death! – By Richard Odusanya

When everything is going on well, we forget about His presence.

But when the tables turn upside down, we remember that He is there.

The Rastaman calls Him Jah.

Allah is His most suitable name to the Arabs and

the Englishman calls Him God.

We might have different names to call Him, but He cares for everyone and remains ever faithful.

This alone moves my heart to render an “unreserved thanks” to the Most High God for the Year 2020.

From the in-depth knowledge and understanding of mere mortals comes the words of Year 2020 being a turbulent and undesirable one all over the world; a year of pestilence and pandemic, a year of the merciless COVID-19, a year that took lots of loved ones, and render uncountable jobless, a year of restriction of human right to freedom of movement, a year of hunger and inestimable pains.

But from a heart that sees beyond man’s design, that is from the heaven’s blue print, the Year 2020 was a year that humbled man to return  to our Creator with all humility and retrace our steps to He who created us in His own very image.

The Fulani herdsmen became unrepentant drivers of the new form of conflict in 2020; carrying out over 141 attacks across the nation and killing nothing less than 335 people with over 137 persons kidnapped.

Banditry, which includes armed robbery, rapes and cattle-rustling, spread its tentacles across the country, most especially in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger and Sokoto states.

By March 2020, more than 210,000 people had been internally displaced and more than 35,000 refugees had crossed communal borders to Maradi in Niger Republic. Between 26-27 November, 2020, over 3,400 people fled from Kankara LGA in Katsina State over the fear of violent attacks.

Ritual killings became a daily routine and defined the extent to which Nigeria, as a country, experienced decadence in the Year 2020. So sad, and unfortunate.

The 333 Kankara abduction of innocent boys and the Garin Kwasebe in Zabarmari’s killings of rice farmers explain the height of insecurity to lives and property in Nigeria for the Year 2020. Worse still, the Boko Haram sect took the Year 2020 to reiterate that they remain above the laws of the land.

The #ENDSARS, a peaceful response to the inhumane treatments and indiscriminate killings of the innocent citizens from our security agents (most especially SARS officers) and the government itself, took over the land like a wildfire to correct lots of political and economic anomalies. However, as usual, the government infiltration reduced a just cause to a violent event that claimed lots of lives and property.

20/10/2020 would remain indelible and a very sad day, in the annals of history and in the hearts of patriotic Nigerians; a day the Nigerian Military under the command of Maj Gen Muhammad Buhari and Tukur Buratai, turned the face of the guns against our youths who are peacefully protesting, waving flags and singing the national anthem, and were violently wiped them off like unwanted grasses in a beautiful field.The list is nothing but endless.

In the middle of these all, I see a Year 2020 meant to prepare and usher us all into the liberation and greatness in the Year 2021.

It is, therefore, mandatory for every living soul that has crossed over into the Year 2021 to be grateful to the mercies of God.

Our hearts would forever remain grateful to our fallen heroes of 2020. You laid down your lives for a liberated Nigeria and water the tree of freedom and democracy, similar to the sacrifice of President Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola GCFR.

With heavy hearts, but a hope for a better future, we establish a CANDLE LIGHT procession tonight, for all victims of oppression, insurgency, Fulani herdsmen havoc, banditry and other numerous cases of avoidable deaths.

Our invaluable appreciation goes to the international communities, relevant world bodies and friends of Africa for standing with us through the turbulence of the year like never before 2020. We are inexplicably grateful!

May the Most High God, divinely inspired by His mercies and grace, see us all through into and beyond the goodies, greatness and liberation embedded in the Year 2021. Emancipation!

 HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR COMPATRIOTS HOME AND ABROAD!!!

Odusanya is the convener of AFRICA COVENANT RESCUE INITIATIVE ACRI

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