PROF.
BEN ONYEUKWU (REV.)
NCE(Eng.) ND/HD (Journalism); BA (Hons)
MA, PhD.
PORTRAIT OF A WICKED MONARCH (PART
2)
KING HEROD AND THE BLOOD OF THE
INNOCENT
WRITERS QUOTE:
“Those who kill to secure or retain
positions never find rest on duty”.
MAIN
TEXT:
“Then Herod, when he saw that he was
deceived by the wise men…sent forth and put to death all the male children who
were in Bethehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under,
according to the time which he had determined from the wise men”, (Mathew
2:16).
INTRODUCTION:
King Herod was presented with one of
the highest honours of the Kingdom
of God, as the monarch
that would have played host to Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of
lords, who came into this world through his kingdom. But, unfortunately, he
chose the path of inordinate ambition that destroyed him and his dynasty.
The Bible reveals that Herod massacred
innocent children in his bid to retain his position as king, and may have also
considered that his dynasty would have been at stake if he did nothing to
protect it. In this era, also, the story is the same, as most monarchs are
guilty of murder, as a way of suppressing oppositions against their positions
as paramount rulers. In Imo State,
Nigeria, for instance,
the present chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel
Ohiri, was said to have in recent past lost his father and other members of his
family and clan to assissins for allegedly standing in opposition to the
interest of his predecessor, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya. Though, the latter may be
innocent of the allegation, the truth remains that such things happen on daily
basis in Nigeria
and other parts of the world. With this in mind, now learn that:
MONARCHS WHO KILL EXPOSE
THEMSELVES TO DIVINE JUDGEMENT
Judgment
is the lot of everyone, and one who murders will surely face God in judgment,
but for specificity, this project focuses on the monarchs who kill. Though, the
Bible talks of the final judgment, Louis Berkhof remarks that it also teaches
that God, even in the present life visits evil with punishments and rewards the
good with blessings, and these punishment and rewards are in some cases
positive, but in other instances appear as the natural providential result of
evil committed or of the good done”.
Murder, like every other sin, is not
treated with levity in the sight of God, and one who becomes guilty of the sin
pays darely for it. But, those in authority especially the monarchs often think
they have the right to kill without questions. In fact, certain traditional
rulers still possess the “stone-age” mentality and customs, as some of the
ceremonies they perform in their domains go with human sacrifices, for the
burial of certain traditional chiefs in their domains take human heads, whereby
encouraging murder and therefore, a breach of the criminal code, as well as
implies that some reported cases of headless bodies found here and there in
various communities could be traced to the palaces of such notorious
traditional rulers, who believe that such practices keep them afloat with the
gods of their forefathers or ancestors. Furthermore, it is not an overstatement
that certain traditional rulers are vendors of human parts who, as well are
human traffickers, and the civil governments are by this, called upon to check
the activities of these wolves who parade themselves as monarchs of the people.
Now, have you ever come to reason why
most of them are never happy in life? It is obvious that most of them live with
the burdens of incurable disease, restlessness and the trauma of insecurity, as
a result of the human blood shed, and these are clear evidences of the judgment
of God in the present life, as the torments of hell still await them at the
final judgment, unless they repent, for the wicked shall be turned into hell
and all the nations that forget God, (Psalm 9:17).
MONARCHS SHOULD
UNDERSTAND THEY ARE FATHERS AND NOT OPPRESSORS
Monarchs are fathers of the people and
not oppressors, thus, we refer to them as “Royal Fathers”. By way of contrast,
a father is kindhearted and caring, but an oppressor is wicked and heartless.
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, “an oppressor is a
person that treats people in a cruel and unfair way, especially by not giving
them the same rights as other people”, and this pictures the lifestyle of most
traditional rulers who today take delight in violating the fundamental human
rights of the people in the name of tradition.
Like king Herod, whose biography is at
the background of this write-up, Eze Emmanuel Emenyonu Njemanze, the Ozuruigbo
v of Owerri, is portrayed by a family member, Mrs. Stella Njemanze Neboh in the
Nigeria Newspoint Newspaper edition of December 2-4, 2011 as an oppressive
monarch, as she contracts between him and the former monarch(s) of the Njemanze
dynasty. Her words, “growing up as a little girl in the once famous Njemanze
compound, we had peace, unity and love for one another. We were united and
ready to fight any village, town or city that threatened our existence. We also
had a powerful Eze Owerre, who was fearless, outspoken and brutally
honest”….Today, greed, selfishness, dictatorship and self enrichment have
become the Njemanze code of conduct. Families are (now) told how to run and
manage their respective lives…
But, according to Nwabufo Ewelukwa,
the fundamental human rights, as enshrined in the chapter four of the Nigeria
Constitution of 1979….include; Right to Life, Right to Dignity of the Human
Person, Right to Personal Liberty, Right to Fair Hearing, Right to Private and
Family Life, Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion, Right to
Freedom of Expression and Press, Right to Peaceful Assembly and Association,
Right of Movement, Right to Freedom from Discrimination, etc, and these rights
should be respected by all.
Mrs. Neboh is not yet done, as she
continues to cite other injustices meted out on her family members during the
death of her father, as she further states, “in 1988 when my father passed on,
my mother’s right as the chief mourner were selfishly taken away by the then
crown prince who made himself the chief mourner for Eze Anumaku Njemanze
family. All condolence visits, food, drinks money, etc, that were supposed to
go to my mother and our family went to Eze Owerre and Ugoeze. My mother, a window
got nothing, when I questioned, I was told it was traditional….
Therefore, if the issues raised by
Mrs. Stella Njemanze Neboh are true, then, Eze Emmanuel Emenyonu Njemanze
should repent to became a “Royal Father” and not an “oppressor”, and other traditional
rulers with similar tendencies are by this, called upon to as well repent, for
like Herod, they may not have ordered the killings of the under-aged, but their
inhuman actions against people could bring about frustrations and heartache
which may eventually results in the deaths of innocent souls in society.
MONARCHS ARE CUSTODIANS
OF THE NATURAL LAW AND NOT UNGODLY CUSTOMS
Again, monarchs are by Divine
Appointment custodians of the “Natural Law”, and this is why they are some
times called “natural rulers”. But, natural law should not be confused with
ungodly customs, which certain-monarchs hang on to do evil. In the words of
Nwabufo Ewelukwa, “natural law is the law of nature, which is the emanation of
Divine Providence that is rooted in the human nature and reason. To cite what
is meant by ungodly customs, Ewelukwa further remarks that in the primitive
society, there existed some obligatory rules prescribing the acceptable pattern
of behaviour in Human Community. These rules are regarded as binding, but with
the advancement or development of the society, most of them ceased to be
acceptable. For instance (in Igbo community), Ewelukwa continues, the rule
which says that people should not go to work on Eke Market day and prescribes
the punishment that those who violate it should be brought to the marked place
and be flogged, is certainly not acceptable in a civilized society.
Furthermore, a rule or custom which permits the killing of twins or the burial
of a chief with human head is equally not acceptable in an advanced society”….
Regrettably, nowadays, most monarchs
in the name of customs, violate the principles of human rights, as cited in the
section two of this discourse, as well as go all out against the word of God in
performing the duty that is said to be a divine appointment. Today, how many
widows are in the “black books” of certain traditional rulers for not bowing
down to idols in the name of tradition? How many people are secretly beheaded
for ritual purposes in the name of customs, in the domains of those who claim
their dynasties are of God? How many are dispossessed of their personal
belongings for standing out for the truth in the community where the monarch is
said to be a Christian? And, how many die in abject poverty in the enclave
where the ruler and his chiefs divert loans meant for the people into private
pockets? The list is endless, but one thing is sure, wicked kings will always
be judged like Herod, (Mathew 2:19).
In conclusion, once again, be reminded
that monarchs are natural rulers put in various domains by God, and should be
treated with respect and dignity, no matter their pitfalls. Although, fair
commends could be made where necessary in an effort to point out relevant
truths that could keep the society going. But, on no account should anybody be
insulting in addressing issues that concern a monarch, for their judgment is
the prerogative of God. BE CAREFUL.
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