By Oremade Oyedeji
For the purpose of understanding for non-Muslim readers, Adhan is the Islamic call to prayer (salah). One such was made by Oluseye Akanmu-Bode to mark Nigeria’s 62nd independence day celebration.
In what was described as a civic engagement and enlightenment project as well as prayer for a better government in Nigeria, Oluseye organised the event on Zoom for a global audience and participants titled Atiku Oyoyo.
The high point of the event was the presentation of the keynote address by American-based Bruce Delvalle, who spoke passionately and extensively about Nigeria. He noted that the failure of governance is from the local government level, reiterating that the suffering of the people of Nigeria is from the failure of proper local-level administration.
The American then raised a prayer and pertinent questions: Is Nigeria a viable option? Can it be restructured, or should it be dissolved?
According to him, the greatest enemy of Nigeria is the 1999 Constitution. To him, the 1999 constitution is the continuation of the military dictatorship. The constitution is the problem, noting that the third tier of government has to become primary in a new Nigeria.
He advised Nigerians to choose a leader that will embrace the change that they want to happen, lamenting that regardless, some people will choose a leader that will give them a slice of the cake, and that is what led Nigeria to where it was today.
And for the American, he sees a pathway from the intention of the amalgamation of Nigeria, although it has degenerated into a nation undeserving of the state it is today.
One must not miss out on an important point made by this speaker. He expressed his love for Nigeria, declaring that he would like to become a citizen of the country. On a lighter note, maybe a real “Omo Eko” bride to complement it, just like the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike endorsed a real “Omo Eko” Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for a second term for Lagos.
Without emphasis again on the real “Omo Eko” metaphor, headlines by so many major news media in Nigeria recently is presidential aspirant Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s church rat metaphor while responding to a question on climate change causing farmers-herders clashes at the Arewa joint committee event in Kaduna.
In his words: “It is the question of how do you prevent a church rat from eating a poisoned holy communion; that is the way we cut wood for firewood. The West said we should plant trees, we did, they said we should stop cutting wood for charcoal, we did, but they refuse to give us money, so we leave the climate for them if they don’t want to bring money.”
What Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done here is to liken Nigeria’s compliance with the global change directive under President Muhammadu Buhari to prevent a church rat from eating poisoned holy communion.
Many opposers still see Tinubu’s comment as offensive to a demographic and a misrepresentation of the climate change directive, forgetting that threat to climate is currently being addressed globally by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
On its part, the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy (CRPA), a civil society, among many others, also referred to his statement as blasphemy. My submission is Bola Tinubu is from the southern demography of the country, just like an inhomogeneous church.
Without digressing, I mentioned an American-born and former Pastor of the RCCG (Pastor Mark – surname withheld) in my previous article. He said RCCG is promoting their kingdom, stating that the system man created is forcing them (pastors and members) to do that, not following Christ anymore but the leadership of the church. It is about church meetings and obeying the hierarchy and pastor.
He mentioned the emulation of the ministrations of Dr Emeka Ozurumba as a perfect teaching, and some of the messages on Youtube include ‘’Spiritual Understanding & Appreciation of Oneness in Christ as Equal Laborer in God’s Vineyard’’, Understanding our Priority in His Kingdom; among many others messages.
You will recall, in my previous article titled, Adhan; Thy Government Come (part 1), my submission is that Southern Nigeria generally is united by purpose (homogenous by purpose). That the permutation (united by purpose) may not be correct with the Northern part of Nigeria, as they may be truly united by religion (Islam), evidenced by the existence of radical Islamic group (Boko Haram) in the North East and Sharia practices in most northern states (all supported by the government of the states.) which is also justified, by choice of metaphor used by Tinubu, a husband of an RCCG pastor, during the Arewa joint committee event.
Still, on the metaphor of preventing a church rat from eating a poisoned holy communion, anyone in this kind of spiritual state may wander in the wilderness for a long time until they have their own burning bush experience where God’s presence enters and prepares them to fulfil their purpose.
Using an illustration from a Muslim (Alhaji Olaitan Adeleye), I concluded that among churches in the West, homogeneous churches allow Muslims to speak freely at Christian gatherings. For example, former Governor Raji Fashola (a Muslim) spoke at the Excellent in Leadership Conference at Daystar Christian centre a few years ago, and this year, Abike Dabiri Erewa (a Muslim) also spoke at the Covenant Christian Centre, among many others. Interestingly, Mr Fashola’s children attend Daystar Christian Centre.
Let me conclude this piece with a joke about a bull and a pheasant grazing on a farm in Ifewara town, Osun State, Nigeria. A pheasant looked upon an old veteran tree (also known as Igi Àràbà) very nostalgically and said, there will be a time I can fly to the topmost branch of the Igi Àràbà, then the bull very nonchalantly said just eat a little of my dung every day, and gradually, you will get to the topmost part of the tree within a fortnight.
The pheasant was sceptical, but the bull was so convincing. So, the pheasant started pecking at the dung and miraculously, within the fortnight, she did hit the topmost part, and she can now see the world. As she began to enjoy the scenery, an old farmer arrived and saw an old pheasant sitting on top of Igi Àràbà; he pulled out his gun and shot at the Igi Àràbà severally. The lesson learnt is that many times bull shit can get you to the top, but it will never let you stay there.