A house divided – from what part of Nigeria’s history?

“It is easier to wake up someone who is truly sleeping than someone pretending to be asleep.” The first time I heard this from my professor in the seminary, Fr. Prof. Denis Mason OSA, it was very funny but with closer examination of the statement, it became clear. My days of primary school were filled […]

“It is easier to wake up someone who is truly sleeping than someone pretending to be asleep.” The first time I heard this from my professor in the seminary, Fr. Prof. Denis Mason OSA, it was very funny but with closer examination of the statement, it became clear. My days of primary school were filled with such memories of not wanting to go to school in the morning, and with some beating still refused to get up…. from the bed – not from sleep. To wake up to a sense of responsibility, to deliberately influence growth and development in the community. Isn’t that the attitude of many Nigerians? 

Gen. 3: 9 – 15 presents the dialogue between God and the community of Eden. They had dislodged the social order by their act of disobedience which has led to catastrophic consequences. They romanticized with the idea of happiness – we are happy now, and you know what? We could be happier! This can be likened to Nigeria’s early growth after the departure of the colonialists in accord with the blue print of the founding fathers and despite the challenges (of nation building), people were happy and this reflected in economic growth. So, at what point did the whispering of division begin in the ears of Nigerians, especially the ruling class? 

These whispers are not about how best to deliver the best healthcare services, build the best of schools or to ensure the safety of all especially the poor. They are “dangerous whispers” like that of the serpent in Genesis 3. The fruit bestows vision, a likeness greater than what God intended and knowledge – all for the self, and not for others. Adam and Eve did not consider the community of Eden in making their decisions. Their desire was to be self-serving, and not community oriented. We still find these selfish motives among many to this day. This is why it is difficult to wake up those who are pretending to be asleep than those who are truly sleeping. 

There is no succeeding government that did not roll out welfare programs for the masses in the name of poverty alleviation. Whereas, these programs have in themselves become an industry – the poverty industry that has widened the gap between the poor and the rich. 

These very powerful people, who have eliminated the middle class, are of one religious affiliation or another – Christians, Muslims and African traditional religionists. They either have chapels or mosques or shrines attached to their houses – what Bishop Kukah has described in Hausa as “Allah ga naka” (meaning: God, here is your own). But they are virtually serving Beelzebul (Mk. 3: 22 – 27) because the house, the community/society is so divided in accord with the desires and whimsicalities of the ruling class rather than the needs of the people. 

The brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus thought of him as someone out of his mind chiefly because he neglected himself – perhaps not eating when he should have, but went on to serve the people. Leadership is service and service is seen in self-emptying – a kenosis without huge allowances that can ordinarily fund education and primary healthcare. Rural areas are littered with beautiful places of worship but without functional healthcare centres schools for basic education. This is perhaps the case since Nigerians think of themselves first as religious people. This ought to have been a position of strength but it is one of weakest links of the Nigerian masses, readily exploited by the political/ruling class. Contemporary Marxists probably would say to one another “we told them.” The idea of self-emptying seems too much task for the elite for perhaps two reasons. First, we are Africans and culturally baggage is our lot and paraphernalia should not just be felt but must be seen. Second, decades of military rule has conditioned the psyche of Nigerians, irrespective of the class, that you are nothing if your strength is not just felt but seen. 

Nigerians have been battered over time by the embarrassingly degrading primary healthcare situation despite millions of dollars sunk both by Federal Government and International aid agencies. But there is still something to look forward to. St. Paul says “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2Cor. 4: 16). The inward personality that is renewed is the new understanding that what unites us is much more important than what is wielded before us as what should concern us. This can only be achieved through a reorientation from the advent of that “dangerous whisper” like that of the serpent. There are several devilish whispers that have plunged Nigerians into a deep discontent and disconnection ticking to explode. From the divisive nature of politics in Nigeria along religious and ethnic lines, to the corporate decimation of our common patrimony through corruption, the rebuilding of the house must come from below – the common people. They must understand the correlation between values and community development, hinged on accountability and social responsibility.

 The zeal to rebuild should consume us all. The spirituality of religious activities demands that we develop strategies of social engagement in accord with the mind of God to rebuild bridges that have been destroyed by suspicion and hatred. We must allow the gentle voice of God to guide us in our challenging journey to growth and development for the common good. 

 

Emehel is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto.