BE BOUGHT OR SOLD, MEN WHO IN THEIR INMOST SOULS ARE TRUE AND HONEST, MEN WHO DO NOT FEAR TO CALL SIN BY ITS RIGHT NAME, MEN WHOSE CONSCIENCE IS AS TRUE TO DUTY AS THE NEEDLE TO THE POLE, MEN WHO WILL STAND FOR THE RIGHT THOUGH THE HEAVENS FALL

Read that sentence again. Slowly. Let it search you.

The greatest want of the world is the want of men.

Not the want of money. Not the want of oil. Not the want of gold. Not the want of technology. Not the want of buildings. Not the want of cars.

The world has money. The world has oil. The world has gold. The world has technology. The world has buildings. The world has cars.

What the world does not have is men. Real men. True men. Men who will not be bought or sold.

This quote is from Ellen G. White, written over 100 years ago, in a book called Education. But it sounds like it was written today, in 2026, in Lagos, in Accra, in Nairobi, in Freetown, for Africa.

Because Africa does not lack resources. Africa lacks men. Africa does not lack people. Africa lacks men who will not be bought or sold.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A MAN WHO WILL NOT BE BOUGHT OR SÔLD?

It means this: You have a pricè, and your príce is not for sale.

In Africa today, almost everyone has a price.

A politician has a price. Give him 10 million naira, he will sell his vote. Give him a contract, he will sell his people. Give him a visa to America, he will sell his country.

A pastor has a price price. Give him a seed, he will say what you want to hear. Give him a car, he will call your sín a blessing. Give him a building, he will call a thief a saint.

A journalist has a price. Give him brown envelope, he will write a lie. Give him an advert, he will hide the truth. Give him a job, he will call the predator a saviour.

A judge has a price. Give him money, he will free a murderer. Give him a promotion, he will jâil an innocent man.

A youth has a price. Give him 5,000 naira, he will vote for a thief. Give him a phone, he will sell his vote. Give him a bottle of beer, he will sèll his future.

A woman has a price. Give her a wig, she will sèll her body. Give her a bag, she will sèll her dignity.

Everyone is bought. Everyone is sold. Like in Berlin, in 1884, Africa was carved like a carcass, and today, Africans are bought and sold like a carcass, in the market of politics, in the market of religion, in the market of social media.

But the greatest want of the world is men who will not be bought or sold.

Men who, when you offer them money to lie, say, "No."Men who, when you offer them a position to keep quiet, say, "No." Men who, when you offer them a visa to betray Africa, say, "No." Men who, when you threaten them with death to deny truth, say, "Kill me, but I will not be bought."

That is a man. That is the want of the world.

MEN WHO IN THEIR INMOST SOULS ARE TRUE AND HONEST.

Not true on the outside, false on the inside. Not honest on Facebook, dishonest in private. Not holy in church, thief in the office. Not clean on Sunday, dirty on Monday.

Inmost souls. The place no one sees. The place where you are alone with God. The place where you know who you really are.

Many men are true in public, but fàlse in private. They wear agbada and speak big English, but in their inmost soul, they are liàrs. They preach against corruption, but in their inmost soul, they are waiting for their turn to steal. They post about Africa, but in their inmost soul, they want to run to America.

True and honest in the inmost soul means: When no one is watching, you are still true. When no camera is on you, you are still honest. When no one will know, you still do the right thing.

A man who is true in his inmost soul does not need to shout, "I am honest!" His life shouts it. His wife knows it. His children know it. His workers know it. His village knows it.

In Africa, we need men whose inmost souls are true. Because the outside can be painted. The outside can be faked. You can wear a suit and be a thíèf. You can speak in tongues and be a liar. You can carry a Bible and be a m√rderer. But the inmost soul cannot be faked. God sees it. And one day, the world will see it.

MEN WHO DO NOT FEÀR TO CALL SîN BY ITS RIGHT NAME.

This is the hardest one. This is the one that makes you lonely. This is the one that makes you want to isolate yourself.

To call sin by its right name means: If it is thèft, call it theft, not "mistake." If it is corruption, call it corruption, not "politics." If it is murder, call it murder, not "collateral damage." If it is adultery, call it adultery, not "weakness." If it is colonialism, call it colonialism, not "civilisation." If it is stealing, call it stealing, not "aid." If it is predator, call it predator, not "saviour."

In Africa today, we have renamed sin. We have given sin nice names.

We call bribery "something for the boys." We call rigging "election strategy." We call stealing "national cake." We call prostitution "runs." We call fraud "hustle." We call lyîñg "packaging." We call tribalism "patriotism." We call xenophobia "protecting our jobs." We call colonialism "development." We call depopulation "family planning." We call slavery "employment."

We are afraid to call sin by its right name, because if we call it by its right name, we will have to fight it. And fighting it will cost us. It will cost us friends. It will cost us jobs. It will cost us followers. It will cost us money.

So we call sin by a sweet name, so we can keep doing it and still feel holy.

But the man the world wants does not fear to call sin by its right name. He will look at a president who steals and say, "You are a thíèf." He will look at a pastor who steals and say, "You are a thief." He will look at a foreign company that steals gold and say, "You are a thief." He will look at a system that kills Africans and say, "This is murder." He will look at Berlin and say, "This was a crime." He will look at the elite and say, "This is a plan to depopulate."

He does not fear. Because he knows, if you do not call sin by its right name, sin will call you by its name. Sin will call you a slave. Sin will call you a coward. Sin will call you bought.

It is a heavy burden to carry the truth in a world that loves the lie. It is lonely. It is frustrating. It makes you want to isolate yourself from the madness. Yes. But the man who calls sin by its right name carries that burden, because he knows truth is heavier than líés, but truth will set you free.

MEN WHOSE CONSCIENCE IS AS TRUE TO DUTY AS THE NEEDLE TO THE POLE.

A compass needle always points north. No matter where you put it. In the desert, it points north. In the forest, it points north. In the storm, it points north. In the dark, it points north. It does not change because of wind. It does not change because of fear. It does not change because of money.

That is conscience. Conscience is the needle in your soul that points to duty, to right, to God, no matter what.

A man whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole does not change his direction because the wind changes. He does not say, "Everyone is stealing, so I will steal." He does not say, "Everyone is lying, so I will lie." He does not say, "Everyone is worshipping flags, so I will worship flags." He says, "My conscience points to duty. I will follow it, even if I am alone."

In Africa, many men's consciences are like a broken compass. They point to money. They point to power. They point to tribè. They point to party. They point to whatever the boss says. They do not point to duty.

When a politician tells them to ríg an election, they ríg. When a pastor tells them to lie, they lie. When an elite tells them to sèll their land, they sèll. Their needle is broken. Their conscience is sold.

But the man the world wants has a needle that is not broken. It points to duty. Duty to God. Duty to family. Duty to Africa. Duty to truth. Duty to the poor. Duty to the next generation.

He will do his duty, even when no one thanks him. He will do his duty, even when no one pays him. He will do his duty, even when everyone mocks him. Because his conscience is his compass, and his compass points to the pole.

MEN WHO WILL STAND FOR THE RIGHT THOUGH THE HEAVENS FALL.

Though the heavens fall. Not though the rain falls. Not though the wind blows. Though the heavens fall.

That means: Even if the whole world collapses. Even if the sky falls. Even if everyone leaves you. Even if you lose your job. Even if you lose your church. Even if you lose your family. Even if you lose your life. You will still stand for the right.

That is the kind of man Africa needs. Not a man who stands when it is easy. A man who stands when the heavens fall.

When Berlin fell on Africa, who stood? Mendonca stood. In 1684, he stood in Rome, alone, and sued Spain, Portugal, Italy, though the heavens fell on Ndongo, though his kingdom was destroyed, though his family was exiled. He stood.

When colonialism fell on Africa, who stood? Nkrumah stood. Lumumba stood. Sankara stood. Nzinga stood. They stood, though the heavens fell. Some of them were killed. Lumumba was killed. Sankara was killed. But they stood.

When apàrthéíd fell on South Africa, who stood? Mandela stood. In prisôñ for 27 years, heavens fell, but he stood.

When the elite want to depopulate the planet, who will stand? When flags make us proud of our cages, who will stand? When the world loves the lie, who will stand?

The greatest want of the world is the want of men who will stand, though the heavens fall.

WHAT DOES THIS TEACH US AS AFRICANS?

(1). Africa does not need more men. Africa needs more true men.

Africa has 1.4 billion people. Africa has many men. But many men are bought. Many men are sold. Many men are true on the outside, false inside. Many men fear to call sin by its right name. Many men have broken compasses. Many men will not stand when heavens fall.

We do not need more men. We need men who will not be bought or sold. One man who will not be bought is worth more than 1,000 men who are sold. One Mendonca is worth more than 1,000 puppets. One Sankara is worth more than 1,000 CORRUPT presidents. One Lumumba is worth more than 1,000 traitors.

If you are a man reading this, ask yourself: Am I bought? Am I sold? What is my price? Is my price 10 million? Is my price a visa? Is my price a position? Is my price a woman? If you have a price, you are not the man the world wants. Raise your price to infinity. Make yourself unsellable. Make yourself unbuyable.

(2). This is also for women.

The quote says "men," but it means human beings. It means men and women. The greatest want of the world is the want of women who will not be bought or sold. Women who in their inmost souls are true and honest. Women who do not fear to call sin by its right name. Women whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole. Women who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.

Africa needs women like that. Women like Queen Nzinga, who stood against Portugal. Women like Yaa Asantewaa, who stood against Britain. Women like Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who stood against colonialism. Women like Winnie Mandela, who stood when heavens fell.

If you are a woman, you are also called. Do not let the word "men" exclude you. You are the man the world wants, in a woman's body. Stand.

(3). Standing though heavens fall is lonely, but it is not wasted.

It is a heavy burden to carry the truth in a world that loves the lie. It is lonely. It is frustrating. It makes you want to isolate yourself. Yes. The man who stands though heavens fall will be lonely. He will be frustràtéd. He will want to isolate himself.

But his standing is not wasted. His standing becomes a seed. When one man stands, another man sees him and stands. When two men stand, a village stands. When a village stands, a nation stands. When a nation stands, a continent stands.

Mendonca stood alone in 1684. Today, we are standing because he stood. Sankara stood alone. Today, young Africans in Burkina Faso are standing because he stood. Lumumba stood alone. Today, Congolese are standing because he stood.

Your standing is not for you alone. Your standing is for the next generation. Stand, even if you are alone. Stand, even if heavens fall.

(4). The needle to the pole is God.

Why does the needle point north? Because of the magnetic field of the earth. Why does conscience point to duty? Because of God.

A man whose conscience is true to duty is a man who listens to God, not to man. He listens to God, not to the crowd. He listens to God, not to the pastor who is brought. He listens to God, not to the politician who is sold.

In Africa, we have many voices. The voice of tribe. The voice of party. The voice of money. The voice of fear. But the voice of God is the pole. Follow it. Even if everyone else follows another voice, follow God's voice.

That is what it means to be a man who will not be bought or sold. God bought you with a price, with blood, not with money. You belong to God. You cannot be sold to man, because you are already bought by God.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

If you are a young man, decide today: I will not be bought. I will not be sold. I will not sell my vote. I will not sell my body. I will not sell my conscience. I will not sell Africa. My price is infinity.

If you are a leader, decide today: I will call sin by its right name. If my party steals, I will call it theft. If my church steals, I will call it theft. If my country steals, I will call it theft. I will not rename sin to protect my friends.

If you are a truth carrier, decide today: I will stand though heavens fall. I will not isolate myself forever. I will rest, but I will return. I will carry the burden, even when it is heavy, even when it is lonely, even when it is frustrating. Because the world needs me to stand.

If you are a father, teach your son: Be a man who will not be bought. Teach your daughter: Be a woman who will not be sold. Teach them that the greatest want of the world is not money, but men and women of conscience.

READ THE QUOTE ONE LAST TIME.

The greatest want of the world is the want of men, men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.

That is the want. That is the need. That is the prayer.

The world does not need more rich men. The world needs more true men. Africa does not need more presidents. Africa needs more true men. Your family does not need more money. Your family needs a true man, a true woman, who will not be bought, who will not be sold, who will stand.

Will you be that man? Will you be that woman? Will you stand, though the heavens fall?

Offu Aya Ebirigor writing from Etono Central