In our very eyes, we are experiencing a phenomenon, which
if not checked, will eclipse, consume and destroy our country. That phenomenon
is the wholesale abstraction of religion and prayers, without any consideration
for true work and moral uprightness. Everywhere you go, the precept is praying,
fasting, and speaking in tongues, than in taking practical steps to achieve
results. In our sports, schools, government circles, markets etc. the emphasis
is on prayer than practical work.
In football, the club or national team coach who prefers
to collect money and field less disciplined and talented players, regales us
with calls for prayers and intervention by God, when confronted with impending
loss, the consequence of his indiscretion (as if the opponent does not worship
the same God).
Students who refuse to dedicate one or two hours in a day
reading their curricula, but spend gallivanting hours in tarry nights and
worship grounds, will spend hours before the examination, praying for Gods
intervention and miracles. School administrators and teachers, who refuse to
guild students through the ethics of discipline and hard work, easily encourage
them when faced with impending failure to become prayer warriors and fasting
arrowheads.
Politicians, government and private employees, conspire
daily to grant and execute contracts at rates ten times their normal values, as
a result, their outlandish lifestyle very much above their legal income, is
applauded by spouses, friends and relations who ensure they pay tithe,
regularly, or perform Zakhat.
Governors who refuse to execute projects that will
improve the lives of their subjects as they constitutionally swore, but divert
monies so budgeted to private accounts and businesses, find comfort in donating
huge amounts of money to churches and mosques. As we daily, such donations are
followed by prayers of the pastors and imams whose churches and mosques are the
beneficiaries of such donations.
Matrimonial quarrels that sometimes lead to divorce
happen every day as a result of infidelity, a sin which impacts limited
individuals. We do not know or hear of any spousal quarrel or divorce resulting
from corruption or stealing of public funds, a sin so perverse in magnitude and
ramification that it leads to mass poverty or ruination of organizations and businesses.
Rather, wealth arising from such corruption, stealing or outright fraud is
celebrated as blessings from God, with the culprit encouraged to pay tithe or grant
Zahkat as atonement of tainted conduct.
In our market all over the country, whether in Alaba,
Aspanda, Ariaria, Ochanja Ogbete, a new tendency has taken ascendency. It is
the routine of traders abandoning whatever they are doing by 12 noon each
market day, to worship the living God. Here, men, young and old, girls and
women, spend an hour singing, praising and praying to God almighty.
It is a sight to behold the seriousness and commitment
involved in these sessions. The intensity and pomp during these sessions will
put Lucifer to great envy. But moments after these prayers, the participants whose
stores are filled with fake, expired and adulterated products, feel no guilt in
selling these products to the next unsuspected buyer.
They swear by God and guarantee the goods are original. If
after buying from them, you discover defects in the products and return same,
they deny ever setting eyes on you, and you soon discover the receipt issued to
you, was equally fake.
In our churches and mosques, those who are reserved the
front seats are the rich men and women, who are known, or famous. They are
allowed prominence even when their source of wealth is questionable. They partake
in most activities of the church or mosque including long fasting periods, and
tarry nights. In determining positions in the mosque or church scant
consideration is given to the more qualified candidate.
Rather, the pivotal consideration may be tribe, state or
local government of origin. For some northern Muslims, it is a taboo for a
southerner to lead them in prayers. In some churches ruled by elders, the
elders in majority from a particular ethnic group will insist on which tribe
the next Reverend or pastor will come from.
In some churches, it is sacrilegious and regarded with scorn
and odium, for poor member to trespass to areas meant for the rich and special
members of the church during occasions. On Sundays while going to church, our
rich born again families, dress with their children. Their houseboys and girls
can be spotted from afar in their rag tag dresses, most times, wearing bathroom
slippers.
These flotsams and jetsams of society, who otherwise
should have been grateful to God for allowing them live with a wealthy family,
who labour and do all the household chores, are lucky if they are allowed the privilege
of attending a public school.
While their masters children attend private schools with N500,
000 average school fees a term, they are denied attendance of a low level
public school where fees maybe N40, 000 per term, despite the quantum of wealth
at the disposal of the master.
Pastors, Reverends, Overseers, Imams are all competing
with worldly people on material things. Most will not wear apparel except by a
known designer. Their competition for whose car is costlier, has now acerbated
to whose airplane is more expensive.
The latest vogue now is owing a university. Every
denomination wants to own a university. During worships, special offerings are
made for building of the university. Poor members are encouraged to go and work
for free in the construction site. When the school is completed, very
exorbitant school fees are charged, thus eliminating the child of the poor
member who had expended his labour free of charge.
Meanwhile, at the corporate affairs commission, the legal
ownership of church vests in the overseer, his spouse and children. It is
apostasy to question this.
I do not know what use four to six luxury cars or private
jet will be to a man of God. What is the difference between such a servant of God
and the secular man? Despite pretensions to the contrary, it is crass and
irresponsible materialism. I know these monies can be used to establish
factories that will create wealth and employment.
Luxury private cars and private jets are not income yielding
assets. In fact, they consume so much so for maintenance. Have these men of God
bothered to ask, where the graduates from different universities will be employed?
In a country where the state has shown great incapacity for ideas that will
create employment, shouldn’t religious leaders take the lead? While serving as
a corper in Ekiti state in the ‘80s, I saw big factories and hospitals owned by
the Catholic Church.
Today, I understand they are now moribund. Given the
phenomenal hold religious leaders have on their members, is it not time they
start talking to members about investing in assets and wealth creating
enterprises, than the present atmosphere of obtuse consumption?
I do not know of any country in the world with the number of churches and mosques that are abound in our country.
Abbah
writes from Lagos.
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