God and Our Politicians

Listen to a Nigerian speak and you are more likely going to hear him or her say in every conversation ‘Thank God’, ‘as God would have it’, ‘leave it in the hands of God’, ‘God’s will.’ Nigerians are very spiritual people; their culture, language, names , songs romanticize about an intense spirituality. For example, among the Yoruba, names like ‘Olurun’, ‘Oluwa’ signify God; similarly names like ‘Ogunnike’, ‘Modupe’ speak about spirituality. A household song comes to mind, ‘Baba O Modupe’. Similarly among the Igbo, names speak of a distant spirituality with great emphasis on ‘Chukwu’ and ‘Chi’ both meaning God. It is probably accurate to say that every Igbo name has ‘Chi’ or ‘Chukwu’ whether silently or overtly suffixed or prefixed to it. I once inquired from an Edo workmate what the name ‘Osa’ meant and she told me God. I had asked against the backdrop of numerous names prefixed with ‘Osa’ stretching back years. One particular funny ‘Osa’ I studied with rammed the name into my memory. His name was ‘Osaye’.I never got to see his name written but the spelling follows the phonological pattern. Our past indicates a great investment in spirituality, the belief that there is an unseen guidance.

Today whether you are in Kaduna, Abuja, Lagos, Portharcourt you would experience a thick air of religion: whether its Penticostalism,catholism or Islamism etc.You may be approached by people handing Church leaflets and accosted by preachers.Obasanjo once famously said: ‘God is a Nigerian.’ Speeches by our politicians more likely end with ‘God bless Nigeria.’ Jonathan Power a longtime friend of Obasanjo once asked him who gave Nigeria oil and he replied, ‘God, but the devil is manipulating it!’


Yet I strongly suspect that this thick air of religiosity has sponsored a weak humanity in Nigerians; Nigerians seem to have followed a docile spirituality. Nigerians seem to have failed to harness spirituality for good. Nigerians are wont to surrender even in the face of despoliation and murder with the pacifism ‘God’s will.’ Our politicians use the name of God in ways that boggle the mind. Governor Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, of Nasarawa State while receiving journalists in his Keffi residence as reported by Champion today, urged aggrieved parties of the just concluded elections to fall back on God in words that describe acquiescence .You could almost see the typical acceptance of anything that goes on in life as the will of God when he says, "those who accept the act of God don’t get aggrieved and those who are of God never get aggrieved”. Are the just concluded election results the act of God? Would God normally want people like Yar’Udua and other Governors to be in power? Must every leadership be accepted as God-ordained? If there is any sincerity in the constant reference to God why don’t politicians shun divisive politics and restructure the country?

I had gone to a lecture with a friend of mine when out curiosity I picked up a sheet of paper lying idle and to my amazement, it was a survey of people who professed to be followers of the Christian faith worldwide and Nigeria featured first. Nigerians not only profess faith in God but they export their religion to the world.

Even with the injury dealt by the just concluded polls, you would have thought that weak religious cries urging acceptance would be considerate but we are, as usual, treated to similar doses of retreat. Acceptance imposes years of servile leadership. Until spirituality helps Nigerians, politicians would continue hiding their impotence under the facade of religion. Until Nigerians rise and demand justice, any claim to spirituality would rightly be rebuffed.