Christmas: Need to avoid fireworks

The season of Christmas is here. In about three weeks time, precisely on December 25, Christians will celebrate the festival with glitz, glamour, glee and euphoria. The bull’s eye of this piece is to shed light on a fact and to instill in the youths the need to avoid sounding of bangers at this present time.

Many places like supermarkets, churches, event centres, hotels, restaurants, bars, among others, have been decorated with sparkling red and green Christmas colours.

Jesus Christ was born in a manger in Bethlehem of Judea by Mary, the wife of Joseph. His birth happened in grand dimension as prophecised. This can be verified in the Bible (King James Version) precisely in Mathew Chapter 1 verse 23 which states: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us”.

The unusual way of his birth left many jaw dropped in surprise and on the other hand, threw many into the sea of despair and sorrow. The star of Jesus was seen even by the blind and the shout of his name was audible to the deaf.

Jesus is a redeemer and a healer. Many miracles were credited to him; raising of Lazarus from death, healing of the deaf, blind and the cripple, to mention but a few. His spiritual power is a Herculean task that will forever remain unfathomable.

As a result, the callous Herod began to launch manhunt of him but ended a futile excercise. Had he been extirpated then, our sins wouldn’t have been expunged by the blood he wilfully shed on the cross during crucifixion. That’s the great design of destiny.

For a statement to be epitheted as fact, it has to be substantiated with crystal fact (s). A number of persons, even the followers of Christ, still have the belief that Jesus Christ was sired on December 25 and christined on January 1.

At least, without being hyperbolic, I have read through the section of new testament in the Bible not less than five consecutive times, I didn’t notice any date written as his date of birth. That he was born on the exact day we usually celebrate Christmas can be referred to as an unfounded fallacy.

Christmas season is often celebrated amidst sounding of bangers, firecrackers knockouts; the action which have been outrightly declared unlawful by the Nigerian government.

Unarguably, Nigeria is under the siege of abductors and terrorists. The flame of insecurity can only be quenched if we summon courage and face the enemies.

Sounding of bangers, knockouts, among others, after the government has declared it illegal is a disrespect to the constitution and exhibition of abnormality mistaken for merriment. Many unscrupulous people may use sounding of bangers, knockouts which some will mistake for a gun to snatch people’s belongings.

Sounding of bangers is also dangerous to health, especially for those with high blood pressure or other ailments. It should be known that there is a thin line between life and death. Not to delve into mentioning the life-claiming hazard it may inflict on masses if those materials are, by gaffe, thrown to a filling station.

At this juncture, parents, guardians, etc should educate their children on the dangers that sounding of banger may cause to the society and its legal implication. A minute being spent behind the bar will appear like a century.

The security personnel, especially Nigeria police, should, as a matter of necessity, take legal action against the suppliers of the unlawful material. There is no difference between bangers and cocaine; they are all illicit.

Also, they should further use their military knowledge to halt the action of knockouts sounding by nabbing anyone perpetrating such act.

Olayode Inaolaji,
Ogbomoso, Oyo state
[email protected]