Religion, Nigerian Politicians, & Ruinous Duplicity

(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.

Nigeria Northern Elite Deceive People With Religion, Bishop Kukah

Bishop Kukah

The Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, tells TOBI AWORINDE that the foundation for the Boko Haram crisis in parts of the North was laid years back by leaders of the region

It’s over six months since the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls. Should the Federal Government/military have taken more dire measures by now?

I know that we are anxious and, like every citizen, the feeling of hopelessness is numbing and even humiliating. But what is most important to the girls, their parents and us all is their safety, sanity and life. I want to believe the government and our military are doing their best, given the seeming cynical, hypocritical posturing of some of our international friends who love our oil and care about milking us more than they love us. Whatever it takes, whenever they are free, we want to see them alive and hopefully healthy. Their healing is another project, but I do not believe that their predicament is the result of the lack of will on the part of the government or the military agencies.

Nigerian Politicians, Here They Come Again

As a member of the Niger State Chapter of the Christian Corpers Fellowship in 1989/90, I was close to one particular sister who happened to be the prettiest in our set. My closeness to her put me in a position to know that in the course of our service year, no fewer than five brothers "received" for this sister (a Pentecostal euphemism which means God had directed them to seek her hand in marriage). Curiously, every of these brothers had an interesting account of the way God 'spoke' to him about the sister. But this, as I would find out later, did not also prevent 'God' from speaking to these brothers about other sisters. The truth, however, is that the brothers were not led by God; they admired the sister, evidently for her beauty, and lacking the courage of their conviction, they had to come in spiritual garb.

Nigerian Politicians Spoil Actors with Money and Cars, Zeb Ejiro

Zeb Ejiro

In a recent interview with Yes! International magazine, respected filmmaker, Zeb Ejiro, accused Nigerian politicians for spoiling Nollywood actors with material gifts. 

According to Ejiro, "There are a lot of people who never dreamt of being what they are today. Suddenly, they found themselves there. People are running after them. I need to see you and all that. They start seeing themselves above God. That’s where they get it wrong. 

“The movie industry did not start with the stars that are there today. It started with others. People who suffered to make them who they are, they dump those people, they don’t respect them. You are doing something today, maybe a child’s naming ceremony, marriage or whatever, they don’t attend. They don’t come, they don’t need you anymore!

“Because the politicians are giving them so much money, the politicians are buying them cars; female politicians are buying the male stars cars, homes and what have you. The male politicians are buying the female ones whatever they want. So, suddenly, they don’t need the producers anymore. They can even make bigger movies than you now because one politician will give them N100 million and you are looking for N15 million to do a blockbuster.

"So, suddenly, they find out that they are bigger than you. Not just you; they are bigger than the industry. I think the bane of the movie industry is the Nigerian politicians. That’s the truth!"

Of Pentecostalism, Pastors, and Politics

Pastor Adeboye praying for President Jonathan

Keeping Pastor Enoch Adeboye’s Feet To The Fire

By Pius Adesanmi

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the Daddy General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has been in the headlines for all the right reasons lately. In August 2010, several newspapers quoted him as he declared war on election rigging and riggers.

"We shall resist election riggers in 2011", the famous preacher was reported to have fumed decisively. He ended 2010 on a grand note: Goodluck Jonathan went to beseech God at Daddy General Overseer’s feet, creating a famous photo-op in the process. Our internet commentariat went gaga for the wrong reasons, condemning Goodluck Jonathan for contacting God through the pastor’s intermission. Jonathan’s genuflection before God became the issue. Nobody paid attention to Pastor Adeboye’s iteration of his warning that election riggers would not be tolerated in 2011. He even fired a warning shot at Attahiru Jega and threatened to lead protests against fraudulent elections in 2011.

This is a heartening development. Pastor Enoch Adeboye is welcome to the Pastor Tunde Bakare corner of our collective struggle to take Nigeria back from the vultures in Abuja and the state capitals. What took him so long? Hopefully, his residency in this auspicious corner of the struggle shall not be temporary. For now, we shall pretend that we don’t mind the fact that Pastor Adeboye is spending too much time warning INEC and Jega instead of just kuku directly telling the scurrilous Presidents, state governors, ministers, senators, reps, chieftains, stakeholders, elder statesmen and such other ridiculous characters who regularly go to him for kneeling sessions and photo-ops that their irresponsibility and corruption will no longer be tolerated.