Dr. Ifeanyi OnyikeAll powerful and merciful father, you are the God of justice love and peace. You rule over all the Nations of Earth. Power and Might are in your hands and no one can withstand you. We present our country Nigeria before you. We praise and thank for you are the source of all we have and are. We are sorry for all the sins we have committed and for the good deeds we have failed to do.
In your loving forgiveness, keep us save from the punishment we deserve. Lord we are weighed down not only by uncertainties, but also by moral, economic and political problems. Listen to the cries of your people who confidently turn to you. God of infinite goodness, our strength in diversity, Our health in weakness, our comfort in sorrow, Be merciful to us your people. Spare this nation Nigeria from chaos anarchy and doom. Bless us with your kingdom of justice, love and peace. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen”- Prayer for Nigeria in Distress.
My Lord Bishops, I am and will ever remain yours obediently. From my cradle till date, I’ve remained faithful to the Catholic faith and her call for prayers for Nigeria in distress- a prayer I believed was born out of genuine concern for Nigeria which at the time was gliding dangerously down the precipice. The Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, initiated this profound intercession on June 27, 1993, barely two weeks after the June 12 annulment, 30 years ago. For these years, my family joined other devout Catholics joined in prayers. Just like a typical USA citizen will not hesitate to say, God bless America, I have participated in this prayer regardless. But, I believe it’s about time we changed tact.
I was in primary three and also in catechism class at the time the prayer was initiated. A young man though, but, I had appreciable knowledge of the troubles of that period. Nothing that happened between 1992 and 1993 compares to what’s happening in Nigeria currently. Citizens of the country have become so impoverished that we now celebrate and welcome crime as a way of life, in so far as it puts money on the table. Our young ladies choose criminals over and above decent men.
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I cannot count how many parents have died, and how many young girls’ wombs have been taken for rituals. These are stories out there that lack scientific authentication. But, not believing that blood money exists, is akin to not believing in the miracles in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we look for proof, and the security operatives threaten people with such unconfirmed ritual stories, I assure you that Nigerian parents are today, scared stiff of their own children. Take it or leave it! It has continued because of our open denial of the obvious and those who attempt to speak, do so in hushed tones and away from the hearing of security operatives – because the onus of proof is on them. Rather than waste our prayers, I suggest you mount the pulpit and acknowledge that money ritual exists and educate the public on the dangers of it. No amount of prayer can be better than open confrontation of evil.
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I hope this doesn’t sound like an attack on the mother Church, I’m only desirous of the kind of revolution that only the Catholic church can champion. Do you know that, the security operatives pay more attention to flashy cars on the road in search of Yahoo Boys than they look out for armed robbers? Do you also know that many police officers believe that it takes more than gun to confront armed robbers, because, those robbers are also armed with something extra? You see why a policeman, armed with bulletproof and gun will run into hiding at the mention of robbers? By the way, when, you hear a policeman shout, you wan teach me my job? Believe me, your safety at that moment can no longer be guaranteed and indeed many Nigerian citizens have died under such circumstances because they dared assert their rights. The of the pregnant lady killed by a Policeman in Lagos is a fresh example.
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I don’t want to talk about military check points and the role of those hungry looking and ununiformed boys that attach themselves to our military men. I will allow you to ply our highways to confirm for yourself, the role of these young men that are not answerable to the federal government or any government for that matter, except the team that mounted the road block. I’m still addressing why we must stop praying about something we are daily creating and promoting. Things have gotten dangerously bad that the mental health of the citizens is at the lowest currently.
I’m very sure that the emergence of Peter Obi and the revolution it ignited seemed to many, especially the believers as an answer to the many years of those prayers. Indeed, at some point, I too began to doubt my doubts. I had my reasons, I watched the political buccaneers in APC and PDP wince at the rising profile of not just Peter Obi, but, his Obidient movement. For a man with an avowed history of koboless politicking, anybody who understands the powerful influence of naira and dollar in Nigeria’s politics will, like me, be amazed at the millions of followers he had within a short period. Nigerians were obviously tired. So my pessimism gave way, and I began to dream dreams- dreams filled with possibilities.
You could see how Nigerians, old and young, yearned for change and fought for it during the last presidential election. But, like Osuofia would say, “in our very before” the satanic agents of darkness ripped us of the only hope for a semblance of sanity in Nigeria. Just like the June 12, our collective wish to elect our own leader for the second time in Nigeria, was annulled by the INEC.
Do you know that, they want us to go to court, and many pastors and priests think that is the right thing to do too? But, I shudder at the confidence with which INEC and the APC have been admonishing aggrieved parties to go to court. Did they keep anything in court that they want us to go and pick? I don’t doubt the sanctity of our courts, but, in his inaugural speech, President Buhari said that, when you fight corruption, it will also fight you. I don’t know how much of the fight we may prepare for. In any case, PDP and Labour Party have heeded their advice, let’s see the surprises that awaits us in court.
INEC failed us despite repeated assurances by our own president, Mr. Mohammed Buhari, of a fair and credible election. Quoting the international observers, the election was neither fair nor credible. In some countries, citizens honour the word of their president, but, INEC robbed the entire nation in a most brazen and shambolic manner. Even the military was not spared. The military gave a press conference to discuss how the Rivers State governor attempted to bribe them to be used to rig election. In all of these, not even a word of caution or disapproval from the president – I may be wrong. I’m very sure, that that singular act by INEC, must have left our president speechless till date. Even the Kuje prison break, still gave him little energy to ask questions. In this one, – nothing!
But, who wouldn’t be dumbfounded anyway? It has deprived him of the only legacy he could have left office with. After the Ekiti and Osun elections, I saw how passionately he spoke about his intention to bequeath Nigeria with a good electoral system. I’m sure Mr. President wasn’t expecting a 100 percent hitch free exercise, because, he knows and once said that Nigeria is fantastically corrupt. But this notwithstanding, especially after about 8years of his administration, our dear president must have expected something more honorable – like honorable rigging. Yee! Something more scientific and believable, because, even among thieves, there is honour. Prayers can’t solve this one. Even the Bible acknowledges that prayers alone can’t solve certain problems.
Do you know, my lordships, like during the presidential election, I received another text from INEC on the eve of the governorship and state assembly elections to “vote and defend your vote”. And I dare ask, which vote? Which (s)election exactly? Imagine sending such atrocious message on a phone I bought with my money and on an election that was already rigged? That’s the height of disrespect. They don’t respect our choices and rights as free citizens and at the same time, will not respect our privacy.
To be candid, if it was a town hall and not a text, the person that delivered such ugly message would have regretted messing with my mental health. Imagine Satan himself telling pastors to pray against the devil? Can’t Satan amicably leave the church premises, so we can avoid the needless prayer? In any case, thank God I resisted the temptation to smash my phone on the wall, I can’t afford a new phone now, not even a fairly used one from Ghana. Even if I had money, I still need it to pay for the exorbitant charges to access cash, so why waste it on phone? You can’t even repair the damaged ones, because, the repairer will demand for cash.
In Nigeria currently, money and cash have different meanings and values. You can have money without having purchasing value. Under their cashless regime, cash is the real deal. You need cash to succeed in Nigeria’s cashless economy- yes! Do you know too, that the CBN is more disturbed about the news of POS agents charging as much as 25% interest on a cash transaction than the source of their money? They have also, despite repeated appeals, refused to tell Nigerians how much of the minted naira notes they released to each bank and how much they handed over to politicians through the backdoor.
I’m not alleging anything, but, it’s confounding that the money not found in banks are shared at political rallies, by those who claim that the naira redesign policy was targeted at them. Wow! To mimic Pastor Chris Okotie, this is completely auriferous. I don’t even know the meaning of the term, but, as long as it makes me to laugh, it will remain correct. We all deserve therapy and energy boosters to survive the current hydra-headed situation of the country.
Do you know that if they told how much they released to each bank, it would help us to know which bank or its branch that’s selling our currency to POS agents and by extension to us, even at the pain of death? But, CBN can’t do that because, it will expose their double dealing. You still don’t understand? We know how much that was minted, we know how many banks operating in the country. We would go to the banks and request to know why the queues when they already have money.
My Lordships, don’t ever make the mistake of assuming that we are fighting with the devil, and hence the need for intensified prayers. God answered our prayers for a better country long ago and bequeathed us with abundant human and natural resources. Those that collapsed our economy are human beings, and they are currently collapsing our life and livelihoods. We have seen people die in banking halls while pleading for their hard earned money.
Many Nigerians also died while protesting the unavailability of the new naira notes. If we continue to pray without confronting this menace headlong, God will continue to ignore our prayers, because, it is not backed by good works. This prayer was answered with the return of democracy in 1999 and the death of Abacha under mysterious circumstances.
Don’t get me wrong. I believe strongly in prayers, but, these are no ordinary times. The Catholic diocese of Enugu say a “prayer for the conversion of Africa” (ekpere maka ntogha nke Africa), and we have seen the result. Africa, especially Nigeria is gradually becoming the religious headquarter of the world. We now export Christianity to Europe and America. But, Nigeria’s problem seems to need a different kind of prayer. A ruthless approach to tackling our problems. If we must pray, can we, rather than the uninteresting recitation, permit the church just one minute during service to pour out our hearts to God? Even, the Israelites have a place called the wailing wall.
Enough on prayers for now. Do you remember the great commission by King Leopold of Belgium to the missionaries in Africa? He requested them to use Christianity as a tool to deepen colonialism. Thus, hard work, poverty, charity and slavish obedience should be preached as virtues while money and wealth should be emphasized as the root of all evil. It worked like wildfire. Like the true owners of these foreign religions in Nigeria, can we adopt it to our own advantage?
The people dealing with us are Nigerian citizens. They are either Christians, Muslims or traditional worshippers. They worship in churches, mosques and shrines under their religious heads. The enemies we pray against are found in our religious centres and our homes. How can we pray against them in the morning, club with them at night, and still expect God to answer our prayers? As a Church, associating with known corrupt figures, ritualists, inept and bad leaders should be discouraged and taught as abomination before God. Don’t you think that we mock God by inviting the stinking politicians and crooks to church for special events? Giving them special place at the front pew is even more denigrating for members. What morals are we imparting on members when in spite of their righteousness, they leave their seats for the notorious criminals and witness the public blessing of such corrupt personalities? But, this is what we do in all the churches (Catholic, Pentecostal, etc) and immediately the before the end of the mass, we call for prayers for Nigeria in distress. Who is joining in these prayers – the same devils you are casting and binding?
Have you forgotten that God rejected the offer of David to build a synagogue for him, because his hands were stained with blood? Today, we watch those who caused the ENDSARS and those that ordered the killing of Nigerian citizens moving from church to church in search of blessing. And …they received it and still deployed thugs against innocent Nigerians during the election. Yes, they deployed thugs against yesterday, and today, Sunday 19th February, we are back to our prayer recitation.
My Lordships, is it not shameful that 90% of the politicians received blessings from pastors, priests and bishops before they went into the election? The importance of the church leadership was exemplified by the APC when they hired fake bishops to attend their unveiling. Yet, we still treat people that should be at our service like gods. What moral right does anyone that blessed the ambition of a corrupt politician have to stand before the blessed sacrament and the alter of God to declare prayer for Nigeria in distress? Honestly, my conclusion is that it’s that prayer that has put Nigeria into serious distress. A man who should be in church to confess his atrocities, is the one receiving blessings? We are not preaching condemnation, but, you don’t go about praying and announcing forgiveness for someone that is yet to confess nor to repent. I know you have a lot of Bible verses to back your actions, but, it’s my firm believe that we can ignore some versions of the Bible that weakens our resolve to tackle our problems for now. In war, an unwritten code in the military, is that you do not preach homilies that weakens the army. We are at war! We are fighting corruption and it’s fighting us.
Do you know that the result of our actions and inactions, is that at every forum, including social media, the only discussion that makes sense to the youths now, is how to disappear from Nigeria? Imagine someone desperately needing to leave his country when the fatherland is not at war? And indeed, people are disappearing to countries that don’t even pray nor believe in God, while we are here, Sunday after Sunday, day after day, reciting a prayer that has long been answered.
In conclusion, you may ask, what should be done. It’s simple, stop blessing evil men! Stop hobnobbing with them! Don’t bury their dead! Don’t go for their house warming! Reject their gifts! Apart from the sacrament of repentance, avoid them, so that people can realize that evil is evil. We would rather worship in an uncompleted building than allow someone to bring blood money into the church, except the intention is to encourage the congregation to imbibe the ritual culture. Again, use the pulpit to impress it on people to walk into the homes of their representatives to demand accountability. The congregation will follow a leader they trust, let the pastors and priests lead the match to the home of politicians in demand of accountability. It is not enough to preach; we look forward to actions.
Dr. Onyike is a Senior Lecturer at Dominican University, Ibadan.
Well done Dr Onyike , I wish everyone should reason in this direction…. not just publicly condemning evil but not to condone it by also containing it…