From Felix Akam
What a country! What a people! What a moment! Never in the history of Nigeria have things gone as bad as they are at the moment. From A-Z of all that makes life meaningful and of all institutions around which society is organized, Nigeria has meant a sad end. We stand stark naked as ridiculed of a failed nation. A country without leadership, just on auto-pilot, will be more efficient than Nigeria of today.
It is as if our ancestors have pronounced a curse for value sabotage on the new generation of Nigerians as structures dilapidate, values decay, bodies decompose and the country moves in supersonic speed without political, social, religious and moral compass. Every level of leadership, from family to village to community to state to nation to religion, has turned its subjects into victims. No where on earth can death buy people at a cheaper rate than in Nigeria. Courtesy of failed leadership! Too sad!
A society is founded on functional politics, robust economy, and vibrant moral high ground. On Nigeria’s journey to the present deadlock, we repeatedly ignored signs that warned us to retrace. Rather than accepting hard choices, we settled for less and cultivated abhorrent culture of superman whose moral reflexes are self-responsible and not deterred by moral umpires. We literally stewed on our own juice and ate up our chances of making things better.
Nothing would matter to a Nigerian more than sports, politics, religion, and rumour. Today, our sports is dead; our politics is on life-support; our religion is confused, fragmented and stinks only as psychological perfuming for attracting for rape, impoverished masses conquered by hunger and crucified by bad economy alongside fragments of mentally depraved bourgeoisie and schizophrenic intellectuals. Only rumour industry thrives in Nigeria of today.
Mind is made to be preoccupied at all times. When it has nothing to contemplate again, it concocts itself one. That our everyday life is saddled with rumour is a bad compliment which defines the low productivity of our present day. If it is not a death rumour of a Nigerian politician eating Pizza in Berlin, it will be of how one empty headed politician discovered a huge snake meant to kill him by his opponents. If it is about how a judge who rejected a bribe given to him by a politician, it will be how a man got pregnant and gave birth to bouncing twin boys at one ‘Oku di Over Prayer Ministry.’
A country that is politically sinking ought to be rescued by religion through spiritual power it ignites in her members. Unfortunately, religion has always stood to cheer up politicians as they make lives more difficult for the people. With approval of religions, politicians developed resolute political bad will and bequeathed us a nation that has become a killer-machine. Soyinka couldn’t have been more correct when he asserted that religion destroyed Nigeria.
A nation that acknowledges neither Mohammed nor Jesus will be more sympathetic to her citizens than Nigeria of today. If we need to call Jesus or Mohammed before government can provide for its people, social welfare would not have reached citizens of China and others. Even without arriving at the concept of God we have, not even in North Korea can we find the type of human right abuses we see in Nigeria today.
At a time churches have multiplied in Nigeria, values have evaporated. At a time every family has produced at least one pastor, hatred among brothers and sisters have multiplied. At a time every village now has at least 3 churches, inter-community wars are now norms. At a time average Nigerian goes for morning devotion, cheating and sale of fake products have become norms in our markets. At a time many young boys and girls claimed to have broken away from the strangling and truth-limiting dogmas of Orthodox churches to the new light of the Gospel, morality has been on ground and Holy Spirit has relocated to Upper Room.
As the so-called anointed men of God wage wars against evil spirits in the country, evil spirits now breed in millions and have room in average Nigerian mind. At a time comedian pastors are springing up and every family now has at least one visiting pastor, Nigerians have become sadder! At the time churches have grown in leaps and bounds, we are losing war to illiterate almajuris in the name of Jihad. What an irony!
Nigerian Christian leaders owe explanations to Nigerians for their inactions in the present condition of their followers in the country. The prosperity content of new generational thinking about Christ discouraged hard work and created a generation that depends on miracle. The commercial intent of church ministers turned pulpit to stock exchange. Gradually arose men of God who are active in defrauding innocent people. And with the dogma of “touch-not-my-anointed” they have strangled their flock’s willpower to ask powerful questions.
Today, Nigerians face two grave dangers. The harsh economy imposed by clueless government and state conspiracy against Christians decorated with gift-wrapping sheets of Fulani herdsmen menace. Unfortunately, the reaction of the church to both has been disheartening.
Church is busy praying government to change but has refused to reform herself as symbol of hope, mercy, solidarity with oppressed, love and agent of change-begins-with-me. Church prays against economic recessions but has neither placed ban on tithes nor educate people that tithe is voluntary and can be invested anywhere and any how that promotes Christian charity. Number of offertory collections has rather increased than reduced. Church building projects have neither been suspended in sympathy to the impoverished flock but people are still being taxed to fuel the private aircrafts of church founders.
Church’s romance with government has further contrasted poor man’s hope that things will change. Church ministers are hired to ingratiate government at public prayer rallies organized and funded by government at the cost of public tax which the church leaders are exempt. They praise the leaders and cite biblical passages enjoining us to pray for our oppressors. Rather than being a refuge of the wounded, the church has become a corporate institution with eyes on her establishments than the spiritual wellbeing of the flock. At worst, it has become part of the people’s problem.
Next, Christians are killed in their thousands but the church is still busy issuing communiqués and calling for fasting and prayers. Tamper with any church’s land or property and see the swift reaction of general overseer who stops at nothing until he gets justice. Yet, no property should matter to the church more than the welfare of the flock. While prayer is a Christian instinctual response to problem, it does not forbid us from taking to the streets to protest against ongoing disrespect to human lives.
Church leaders know the message they can convey when all Christians in Nigeria are mobilized to peaceful protest in accordance with the law. They know the power they command when they starve different Potuses spread across level of governance of unmerited support they enjoy at different levels they take what is meant for the poor. Church leaders know this power but they prefer to play safe and remain in the good book of our oppressors.
That is why, as angry Nigerians prepare for national protest, Christians should prevail on their spiritual leaders to give them leadership and be part of the protest rather than sinking on the ottoman and reaping from windfall of tithes. For years, we have prayed and the only miracle we have seen is life to witness to Christ at this critical moment of jihad.
If church fails to give Christians leadership at this critical moment, she should quietly remain silent forever and allow God to save His people in best way pleasing to Him. If the church fails to act, she may be the target of next national march by impoverished Nigerians in the near future. French history is instructive. This is no time for prayer and fasting. The Lord shall provide is a lazy man’s philosophy.
Felix Uche Akam, a native of Ndinwali Igbeagu-izzi, Ebonyi State-Nigeria. He holds Bachelor's Degrees in Philosophy, Mass Communication and Theology; and also had his Post Graduate Studies in Journalism, Education and Accountancy. Felix is a journalist, a research student in media hermeneutics, a public affairs commentator and an advocate of the masses. © 2020 KEMPIS CONSULTS.
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