WHOSE OX HAVE I TAKEN? Samuel's Challenge to Nigeria's Political Ruling Elite

 Now Samuel said to all Israel: “Indeed I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.

² And now here is the king, walking before you; and I am old and grayheaded, and look, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.

³Here I am. Witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”

⁴ And they said, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.”
⁵ Then he said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.”
And they answered, “He is witness.” 1 Samuel 12:1-5.

Introduction:

Nigeria today resembles a jet aircraft hurtling through the skies at supersonic speed, piloted by a drunken captain and equipped with faulty landing gear. More alarming, however, is that most of the

passengers appear to be fast asleep, as though lulled into unconsciousness by the bite of tsetse flies, oblivious to the danger ahead.

This disturbing analogy reflects the state of a nation blessed with vast natural resources, abundant human capital, and enormous potential, yet burdened by persistent poverty, widespread unemployment, insecurity, inadequate healthcare, a failing educational system, and crumbling infrastructure. Despite possessing all the ingredients necessary for greatness, Nigeria continues to struggle with challenges that deny millions of citizens the opportunity to live with dignity, security, and hope.

Yet one of the most troubling contradictions in Nigeria is the growing phenomenon of public servants becoming wealthier than the offices they occupy. Positions meant for service have too often become platforms for personal enrichment, creating a dangerous disconnect between leaders and the people they are entrusted to serve.

The consequences of becoming richer than the office one occupies are often far-reaching and tragic. They manifest in the constant search for medical treatment abroad despite stewardship over public institutions, the neglect and waywardness of children deprived of proper parental guidance, and, in many cases, stress-induced illnesses, debilitating strokes, and premature death. What may appear as success built on questionable foundations frequently carries hidden costs that neither wealth nor influence can ultimately erase.

The tragedy is not merely the existence of these problems but the growing tendency to normalize them, while many citizens, leaders, and institutions either remain indifferent or lack the courage to confront the realities threatening the nation's future.

The problem is not the absence of resources. The problem is the quality of leadership and the management of public trust.

In 1 Samuel 12, the prophet Samuel presented one of the greatest examples of accountable leadership ever recorded. As he prepared to hand over authority, he stood publicly before the nation and invited scrutiny of his stewardship.
He asked:
"Whose ox have I taken?"
"Whom have I defrauded?"
"Whom have I oppressed?"
"Of whose hand have I received a bribe?"
The remarkable thing was that the people unanimously answered:
"Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand."
Can Nigeria's ruling elite stand before the people today and receive such a testimony?
1. Leadership Is Stewardship, Not Ownership
Samuel understood that leadership was a sacred trust from God.
Unfortunately, many political office holders in Nigeria behave as though public office is private property. Government institutions are treated like personal estates. Public funds are regarded as family inheritance. Political offices are increasingly passed from fathers to children, brothers to brothers, wives to husbands, and close associates as though democratic governance were a hereditary monarchy.
Leadership is not ownership.
The treasury belongs to the people.
Government positions are not family heirlooms.
Political parties are not private companies.
Every public office holder is merely a temporary custodian of a trust that belongs to the people and ultimately to God.
2. "Whose Ox Have I Taken?"
Samuel challenged the people to identify anyone from whom he had unlawfully taken property.
Today Nigeria must ask:
Whose opportunities have been stolen?
Whose future has been mortgaged?
Whose jobs have been sold through patronage and nepotism?
Whose resources have disappeared through inflated contracts?
Whose communities remain without roads, hospitals, schools, electricity, and potable water because public funds were diverted?
When money budgeted for development disappears, the poor become victims of theft without seeing the thief.
The abandoned road is evidence.
The collapsed school is evidence.
The unequipped hospital is evidence.
The unpaid pension is evidence.
The unemployed graduate is evidence.
The question remains:
"Whose ox have I taken?"
3. "Whom Have I Oppressed?"
The true test of government is not how leaders live but how citizens live.
Oppression is not only physical brutality.
Oppression occurs when citizens suffer while leaders celebrate.
Oppression occurs when pensioners die waiting for benefits.
Oppression occurs when youths roam the streets with degrees but no opportunities.
Oppression occurs when justice is available only to the wealthy and connected.
Oppression occurs when public resources are used to sustain political privilege rather than public welfare.
Government exists to serve the people.
The people were not created to serve government.
4. "Of Whose Hand Have I Received a Bribe?"
Samuel declared that no bribe had blinded his eyes.
Bribery is dangerous because it blinds judgment.
A bribed politician cannot see the suffering of the poor.
A bribed regulator cannot protect the public.
A bribed official cannot uphold justice.
A bribed leader becomes loyal to personal gain rather than public good.
Many of Nigeria's problems are not caused by lack of intelligence but by compromised conscience.
A nation cannot rise above the moral quality of its leadership.
5. Samuel's Missing Question for Modern Nigeria
If Samuel were speaking to Nigeria's ruling elite today, he might add another question:
"What assets did I own before entering office, and what assets do I own now that I am leaving office?"
This question lies at the heart of modern accountability.
Asset declaration exists to answer a simple question:
Did public office enrich the office holder beyond his legitimate earnings?
6. Why the Fear of Asset Declaration?
One of the most troubling realities in Nigerian politics is the persistent resistance to transparency.
Many public officials either refuse to fully declare their assets or oppose making such declarations available for public scrutiny.
Yet a leader with nothing to hide should have little reason to fear transparency.
When leaders resist accountability, suspicion naturally grows.
If a public servant enters office with modest means and exits as the owner of numerous estates, companies, luxury properties, and unexplained wealth, the people are entitled to ask:
How was this wealth acquired?
What legitimate income produced it?
Which investment generated it?
Which inheritance explains it?
Or must Samuel's question once again be asked:
"Whose ox have I taken?"
7. Asset Declaration Is a Moral Issue
Asset declaration is more than a legal requirement.
It is a moral statement.
It is a public declaration that says:
"I have not converted public trust into private wealth."
Politics should never become the fastest route to riches.
Public service should never become a business venture.
When politics becomes the most profitable profession in a nation, corruption ceases to be an exception and becomes a system.
8. The Tragedy of Unexplained Wealth
One of Nigeria's greatest paradoxes is that many public officials become wealthier while the nation becomes poorer.
A governor leaves office richer.
A minister leaves office richer.
A legislator leaves office richer.
Yet roads remain broken.
Schools remain underfunded.
Hospitals remain neglected.
Power supply remains unstable.
The people remain poorer.
This contradiction is both an economic scandal and a moral indictment.
9. Samuel's Standard of Transparency
Samuel did not hide behind official secrecy.
He did not claim immunity from scrutiny.
He voluntarily submitted himself to public examination.
That is the essence of servant leadership.
Transparency is not weakness.
Transparency is strength.
A leader who cannot withstand public scrutiny lacks the moral authority to demand public trust.
10. The Verdict must come from the People.
The greatest lesson from this passage is that Samuel did not praise himself.
The people testified on his behalf.
Today many politicians spend enormous resources promoting themselves.
Yet true greatness is not measured by campaign advertisements, billboards, media propaganda, or political praise singers.
The real question is:
What will the people say when your tenure ends?
Will they testify to integrity or exploitation?
Will they remember service or self-enrichment?
Will they remember sacrifice or greed?

Conclusion: The Final Audit
Every governor will leave office.
Every minister will leave office.
Every senator will leave office.
Every president will leave office.
Convoys will disappear.
Sirens will stop.
Official titles will fade.
But character will remain.
History will remember.
Posterity will judge.
And above all, God will ask for an account.
The challenge before Nigeria's ruling elite is simple:
Can you stand before God and the people and say:
"I have not defrauded anyone."
"I have not oppressed anyone."
"I have not accepted bribes."
"I have not enriched myself through public office."
"My asset declaration matches my conscience."
And can the people honestly reply:
"You have not cheated us."
"You have not robbed us."
"You have not taken anything from our hands."
That was Samuel's testimony.
That is God's standard.
That is the leadership Nigeria desperately needs.
Amen.