(By SegunAdeniyi) - By imposing a theocratic order that pushes the
responsibility for ‘blessing the people of the state’ to God … [Nigerian
politicians] are assured of support in a society where majority of the people
are ever ready to die for the faith they proclaim, even if it does not reflect
in their character and lifestyles. The interesting thing is that the same
people who order the destruction of vehicles carrying alcohol in Kano may be
sharing such drinks with friends in the privacy of their homes. It is the same with
Christian governors who build expensive cathedrals in their government houses,
to reinforce the unholy wedlock between the pulpit and the political podium. …
We should all be
worried about the growing importance of religion as a marker of identity and a
tool for political exploitation in our country. While religion can indeed help
to restore moral order, the experience of Nigeria has shown that it is actually
being deployed in promotion of private interest. By invoking religious
sentiments, the people are easily triggered to action in support of whatever
cause the political leader seems to be pursuing. In a predominantly illiterate
society, nothing can be more appealing than to be seen as ‘one of us’ by the
masses.
The story of the drunkard
and his bottles of beer [see below] … is very instructive. The man could pick
and choose which bottle to destroy and which one to keep because it was all
part of an elaborate scam to keep on deceiving himself that he was making the
right choice.
It is in the same way that Ganduje and fellow travellers across
the country use religion to create the impression that they are moral and
trustworthy, in a bid to hoodwink the people, regardless of their actual public
conduct.
Meanwhile, being a moral
police created by the instrumentality of the law, I have nothing against Hisbah
and its mandate. My issue is with leaders who use religion not to advance
public good but rather to attain political ends. ...
On the whole, the vice
grip of religion on our collective consciousness as promoted by those in
political authority is clearly an intentional diversion. Once majority of the
people are fixated on the divine as the ultimate source of blessing or
damnation, it relieves earthly leaders of the burden of responsibility and
accountability. When pleasing God by punishing sins (for which only the poor
are always caught) becomes the raison d’être, wealth and success become
blessings from above, not a function of government policies that enable people
to attain economic success. When stupendous wealth accrues to leaders and their
families, it is also part of the ‘blessings from above’ while those who are
rigged out of electoral victory will need to wait for their ‘turn’.
A system built on such
fraud cannot for long endure.
*********
There is this interesting
WhatsApp story of a drunkard who woke up one morning deeply repentant after a
bitter fight with his wife the previous night. Intent on ameliorating the
situation and turning a new leaf, the man took out the crate of beer he
believed was responsible for his character flaw and started smashing the empty
bottles. He smashed the first bottle saying, “You are the reason I fight with
my wife every day!” He smashed the second bottle, “You are the reason I don’t
love my children!” He smashed the third bottle, “You are the reason I don’t
have a decent job to take care of my family!”
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