Excerpt of the Forthcoming Book, "Misery of the Popular God" by Omoruyi Uwuigiaren

There are people who think they are better than others. We are gods and there is a “Supreme Being” that rules in the affairs of men. The Supreme Being is the God of us all. “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh…” Jeremiah 32 v 27a. He is the one true God that is love and ever willing to accept people irrespective of their weakness and shortcoming. He is eternal. He is the beginning and the end. He is open to help anyone because we are all inscribed in the palm of his hands. He is not a material God that requires sticks and stones before He will respond. He is a spiritual being and it requires a high level of spirituality to work with Him. “God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth,” John 4 v 24. While you are spiritual in your service to God, you are expected to be in charge of your own life. As children of God, you have the power to take decisions, rest when you are tired, and find something to eat. You can also cloth yourself, seek advancement, embrace modernity and have a personal relationship with God. You are the number one prophet of your own life. If you have Jesus Christ, you do not need a middle man no matter who he is. According to the book of Genesis 1 v 28, mankind have been prophetically unleashed by the his Maker to dominate, control, multiply and subdue the earth irrespective of his religion, race, background, affiliation and ethnicity. 

In Africa, especially Nigeria, not many have encountered this God because He is not popular. God is slow to anger. Slow to react because He is a God of process. God thrives in orderliness.  God moves faster where there is order. Because many people are not willing to follow due process, they seek alternative route. A project that ordinarily should take five or more years to achieve, many Christians in Nigeria want to have them overnight. Some Christians are like a student who gains admission into college for a four year program. After just two days in the school, he is already thinking that he is due for graduation. With the little or no knowledge, he jumps into the labour market to seek employment. He believes that since he has paid the tuition fee for the first year and spent some days in the class, he is good to go. He is qualified like the person who endured the hardship of learning for years. His status has to change since he is a child of God whether he is qualified or not. Sadly there are people who are willing to feed the ignorance to their own advantage. All they need to do is tell the people what they want to hear. Large percentage of the people wants to hear that the process is not as important as the proceeds. Just give or sow seed and you are going to be blessed. You will receive power from the miraculous. God will break protocols to bless you. He is a merciful God. He is going to turn your sorrow to joy right away. When mischievous people tell their followers that God is a miraculous God and that things can be achieved quickly by trusting Him, they don’t tell their followers how the seventeen year old Joseph who was sold to Egypt by his own brothers. And it took Joseph thirteen years of hardship, perseverance, serving the Lord in truth and in spirit, and frustration to become the governor of Egypt. “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

“Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck.

“And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt.

 “Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

“And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh King of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt,” Genesis 41 v 41-46.

In the kingdom of God, there are no short cuts. There is nothing like quick fix. Samuel anointed David as the King of Israel when he was just a boy. When David was anointed, King Saul was still the king of Israel. Anointing is not a guarantee that you will not encounter trouble. It is only symbolic that you are for something special. It does not guarantee safety from attacks, enemies and struggles.

However, ascending the throne ordained by God for him nearly cost David his life. There was enmity between the house of Saul and the house of David which lasted for several years, and David had to flee for his life. Because the work of God is a process and you cannot cut corners, David had to learn the hard way. First, instead of becoming the king of Israel, he was first appointed the king of Judah. All these are part of the process.  2 Samuel 2v 1-4.

You must accept the challenge and pay the price. There is nothing free in heaven. Even if the gifts are given freely, you must earn it.  Natural laws must take its course. The atheist, Christian or Muslim all have equal chance to make it in life. When God commanded mankind to dominate, subdue, multiply and replenish the earth, He did not limit this to any particular race, religion, affiliation or people. “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth,” Genesis 1 v 28. You don’t need to be a Christian to be rich. Anybody who understand the rules of how to get rich and applies them will be rich. Wealth has nothing to do with your affiliation to God or any religion. The earlier you know this, the better for you. Having God by your side is only a bonus. The power to decide whether you want to stay poor or rich is in your hands. God did not create you to have ears, mouth, eyes and brain for nothing. They are all you need to have all your needs met. Financial security does not come by being a Christian. You need to know the process. It is the process you apply that will make you rich. Do not allow anyone to deceive you that sowing seed in the church will make you rich or lead to instant miracles. It does not guarantee success.

Becoming a Christian only enhances your chances of going to heaven or having relationship with God. Being born again does not mean you will be financially secure. If your pastor tells you will be rich once you are born again, he is deceiving you. The true God does not require financial inducement to get His attention.

People who struggle or want the quick blessings always connect themselves to where they can get result without following any process or they are made to commit financially to cut corners and get the attention of God. In reality, they are only sowing to the wind. Breaking protocol, cutting corners or paying to get what you should ordinarily access for free is not the hallmark of God. It is Satan appearing as the angel of light.

Meet Omoruyi Uwuigiaren...

Omoruyi Uwuigiaren is a former cartoonist turned writer. When he was a kid, writing was the last thing on his mind. He loved music and composed rap songs for his high school band. After school, he wanted to pursue a career in music. Instead he embraced writing. Thanks to a pastor who encouraged him to write little books and make them available in bookstores.

Ruyi lives in Lagos. Next to his family and friends, writing is his passion and happiness. Today, he writes middle grade adventure fiction and picture books. Some of his published books include The Adventures of Nihu, The City Heroes and other stories from the heart of Africa, The Mystery of Taiwo Da Silva, the Promised Land; I am Jane, Jane the Good Girl, Shadows in a River, Little Okon and the Outside World, Giant in a Hut, and the Little King.

He is the founder of Ruyi’s World of Books and Stories and Human Change Communications Company. His literary works and short stories have appeared on Moronic Ox Literary and Cultural Journal, San Francisco Review of Books, QWERTY Thoughts, the Story of a Writer, the Guardian Newspapers, and the Vanguard Newspapers.

Most of his books are printed (in-house) on either 60 grams or 70 grams bond quality paper by Human Change Communications Company. Covers are printed in full colour on pelican or FBB paper (thick and durable) and laminated. 

The little books and pamphlets are moved to his trimming station where they are folded and bound (by hand) using a commercial-grade saddle stapler. Each book is carefully trimmed using an electric trimmer, making the outside edge crisp (just like perfect bound books have). Every book is neatly packed and new-looking until they are sold. The extra effort means his books are more expensive to produce, but beautiful and highly collectible. Most of his little books are produced in large numbers from 300 to 1000 copies and are usually sold out in three months or less. His books are distributed to primary schools in Nigeria. Quality is key. He builds his books to last.

You can buy some of his eBooks here. Apart from his blog where you can read his books, articles and short stories for free, you can also download his free books in PDF, Epub, Kindle and TXT formats here.

Reach him at: Ldsomoruyi@yahoo.ca

A Rich man or a Womanizer by Omoruyi Uwuigiaren

Leokad, a popular book distributor in Aba, Abia state, ordered for 200 copies each of my books—Giant in a Hut and Billy the Island Goat. On Tuesday morning, I was at Izuchukwu Motors at Jibowu to do a waybill. When I walked into the office, I was not comfortable with the silence that hung in the air. The office was a funeral and whoever coughed was sent to the gallows. Izuchukwu Motors have never been this silent. I approached Peter, the receptionist at the table. Peter tried to impress me with an exaggerated smile as we shook hands and exchanged pleasantries but it was easy to tell that he was in the same pool as others who seemed to swear an oath not to talk when Oga is around. He was not alone on the table. Peter is bare five feet tall. By his side was a man who is almost two times his height. He was dark and had a strong square jaw. He wore a shirt that had seen better days and his faded jean trousers worth nothing. But the man held a phone that was the size of an Olympic stadium.

I ignored the poor soul. “Leokad needs these books. Please make sure he gets them tomorrow,” I told Peter.

“Have you started promoting?” Peter asked me. His face broke into a gap toothed smile.

“NO. We are still supplying,” I replied. “I think I will start promoting by June!”

“Good.” He nodded almost a million times. He lowered his head to prepare the documents.

I frowned and cleared my throat. “Mr Peter,” I said. “Tell your company to open an office around Ojo or Festac. Jibowu is too far from my office…”

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Peter raised his head. But before he could respond, the man that sat next to him raised his hand and interrupted our conversation because his Olympic sized stadium phone rang. As he answered the call, I felt embarrassed. Why will a man like me interrupt my conversation by the mere wave of his hand? I wanted to react immediately but I decided to hear one or two things from Peter before I blow hot. So I swallowed hard and walked briskly to the other side where I could be closer to probe the hell out of Peter. Then I leaned on the counter and asked, “WHO IS HE? WHY HIM GO SAY MAKE WE NOW TALK?”

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“He’s my oga!” Peter whispered words that I could hardly hear as if it was an abomination to talk.

“HOW? I NO UNDERSTAND. WHICH OGA?” I probed with one eye on the man who was still on the phone. He was enjoying the telephone conversation but we were weighed down by the weight of his voice.

“THAT IS IZUCHUKWU! THE OWNER OF IZUCHUKWU MOTORS! You can meet him. Discuss your challenges with him!”

My jaws dropped. My eyes and mouth were widened in surprise. I looked at Izuchukwu and shook my head because I was not completely disappointed. I am blessed. I have met very wealthy people. They are hardly materialistic. Most times, they appear simple and casual. But in their simplicity, they are very domineering. Everything answers to them. They work extremely hard to keep a low profile and be away from the public. That is why you will meet the owner of Chisco Motors at one of his offices nationwide and still will never recognize him.

Izuchukwu is a terrible man on the phone. With his baritone voice, he doesn’t need a public address system to speak to the entire Lagos! He was on the phone forever and I could not wait. I turned to Peter and announced my leave because I also have my business to attend to.

Lagos is a small world. If you are smart, you can never be stranded in the city of Lagos. So I walked back to Jibowu to connect a vehicle that could take me to Mushin, the notorious town that never sleeps. Mushin can be clothed in blood in a matter of minutes. Mushin gives you everything—fame and fortune, curse and death!

My birth certificate shows I was born in Mushin. I love the street but I am not notorious. The street is my heaven because it raised me. If you are on the street, don’t join the crowd. If they are heading to the south, turn to the north. The most important thing is to stay in touch. Make sure you are not left behind. If you go with the crowd in a place like Mushin, you will be destroyed. If you master the street and possess it, you will have a good life! The street is complex. There is no regimented life. It gives you life in different shades. You could wake up to a violent morning and then embrace a blissful night on the same day. You can make a lot of money in the morning and still go to bed broke.

Yes, you can get killed in Mushin if you don’t mind your business. The people who rule the town don’t give a damn about what you think. They are real tough cookies. I have seen rival gangs kill each other and people desert the streets for days for fear of being killed.

Finally, I arrived at Mushin. I hit the side walk and made for the vehicle that will take me to Ilasa. I forgot my hands in my pocket. In my mind, I was alone in Lagos. The city was me and I was the city. I enjoy walking alone, especially with my hands in my pocket. But something out of this world knocked me back to reality. Two beautiful ladies were approaching me from the side walk. They were pure artistry, beauty and elegance. One had a good height and the other was barely reached my shoulder. But what she lost in height was made up in hips and bursts. She was the full package. That’s my kind of woman. I am hardly turned on by slim women. So I fixed my gaze on the lady with the full package. 

As my mind worked on the beauty, she glanced to the left. Before I could blink, she dashed into the shop. Then I noticed she strapped a baby to the back. I smiled. “Your man is enjoying,” I thought. Her friend followed her into the shop. As I approached the shop, I slowed down so that I can have a final view of the beautiful creature that nature threw at me.  I was disappointed when I saw the lady in a fight with two other people as her baby cried out loud on her back. Her friend was trying to pull her away but the lady was too strong even with the baby on her back. She took on the man and the woman in the shop as if there was no tomorrow. When she was finally dragged out of the shop by neighbours, I took her aside to a corner where I could have a proper of this beauty. “Why did you go in there to fight?” I asked as if I was actually going to solve her problem.

She breathed deeply and replied, “That man in there is my husband! We are married. I have three children for him. This is one of them,” she turned for me to see the one on her back.

“Eh-hen,” I nodded. “That is still not enough for you to go into another person’s shop to fight your husband and the woman.”

She looked at me and her innocent look broke my heart. “Oga,” she continued. “My husband doesn’t feed his children. Every time he tells me he has no money. But he rented that shop for that woman.”

“The woman you just fought?” I asked.

“Yes. She is his girlfriend. I have the receipt of the shop in the house. It’s with me! Initially I did not want to fight her. But when I grabbed my husband, he asked her to fight me.”

Speechless! I scratched my head and took her to a bench where she sat down. Then I walked back to the shop to catch a glance of the man in the mess. The man and his girlfriend have been battered by the light skinned lady. She had no injuries on her body but that could not be said of her husband and his new girlfriend who had cuts and bruises all over their bodies.  This lady is not only beautiful; she is a super woman.

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