MAMA BAHAGO’S VISIT TO THE EMIR OF KAGARA (The traditional ruler of Kagara town and its districts in Niger State)
An abridged translation:
Treat him (emir) with respect, don’t let anyone get you to murmur against him. What you are grumbling about, the person you are murmuring against belongs to you. You will stand before God to answer for your actions (and words) No one can hide his actions from God, whatever a man does in this world is in the full glare of God. We all have our scribes, you have your book, I too have mine. Whatever good thing I do my angel will write it in the good book, and whatever bad thing I do, my angel will also write it on the side of the bad. On the final day, all your deeds will be measured by fire. If it burns, you go to hell fire. I am praying to the Lord God for you all, Lord God separate you from wickedness, lies, hypocrisy, that you become people with the fear of God, truthful, humble. May God help you.
My son (the emir), God bless you, the Lord God give you victory, long life. You will not age to the point where you will be carried, you will not be sick to the point that you have to be lifted up, God keep you where He placed you to end well in victory, good health and strength.
I am a Christian. You all know that, I surround him with the fire of the Holy Spirit, any wickedness that comes around to him, the fire (of the Spirit) shall burn such. I also immerse him in the Blood of Jesus. Jesus whom God himself called His Son. He said: this is my Son whom I love, I am well pleased with Him. He said, “Listen to Him.”
Is there any that can alter what God has said? People are saying that we say Jesus is the Son of God. Does God give birth, they ask. To this, I always laugh, laugh of pity, laugh at their lack of understanding, and ignorance.
When people say, “The son of the market, is it that the market gave birth to a son?” Can the market give birth to humans? All that we see in the world that has life, and those without life, the Lord God is the Creator of all, via the word of His mouth. If He says, “Let this be, so be it, not that He moves to do anything.” No.
Therefore, I beg you, my children, and those who are my grandchildren before him to be very careful, help yourself, no one will help you. If you don’t help yourself, no one will help you. (On judgment day), in the presence of God, there is no helper, no father, no mother, no son, no daughter, junior, senior, no wife. Only you alone and your deeds on earth, you alone.
When you have finished living on earth, there will be no opportunity for repentance, no repentance there, only to receive the reward of what you have done.
You, yourself, with your mouth will say the bad and good things you did. Therefore, I want you to obey what this my son (the emir) laid down before you. Obey and welcome his programmes with one heart. If you do not agree with his programmes, tell him to his face. Do not go aside in twos or threes to question his programmes. Approach him and tell him respectfully, lovingly, obediently, he will not reject. If he refuses, he will give the reason. I beg you in the name…
● Abridge translation by Ezra Taliya