Some Nigerian politicians, who were at the helm of power between 1958-1966,
served meritoriously. Others were dishonourable, capricious, corrupt and
unconscionable. Their military orderlies and aides were shocked by the level of
revelries, gaiety and social festivities that were the order of the times. That
debauchery was financed by the monies the Ministers stole from the national
treasury.
This behaviour of the rulers at the time, contradicted the noble ideas of
service to the Fatherland, which the soldiers were taught at the various
military academies in Europe, America and in Asia.
The corruption, political wrangling and social dislocation between 1964-1966,
were so intolerable that the military staged a coup in January 1966. Although
the leaders of the coup like Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu et al were probably
motivated by patriotism, some military officers clearly saw the coup as an
opportunity to step into the politicians’ shoes.
For the next two decades, military adventurism was the order in our land. The
military relay race for booty, wealth accumulation and wielding of vicious power
reigned supreme. Any military rascal, who could organize a coup, readily found
opportunistic, Masonic Nigerian elite, who readily accepted to serve under them.
So, it happened that highly educated Nigerians from the Oxbridge group, became
the errand men of treasonanous military officers.
In an article, which I published in The Guardian Newspaper in 1991, I reviewed
some aspects of the military dictatorship styles of the military governments.
I discovered that the well-trained Sandhurst, Kimberly, West Point officers had
had to leave the military because, after each coup, every officer above the rank
of the coup plotter had to leave the military.
This attrition rate threw up the more desperate and vicious military officers,
who seized power and dealt ruthlessly with those military officers, who wanted
to do what they themselves did.
The Vatsa group was decimated in a manner of utmost cruelty and incandescent
humiliation by General Ibrahim Babangida. Another group, who killed General
Murtala Mohammed, was summarily eliminated by General Olusegun Obasanjo.
Fear was instilled in the Nigerian population, which is ordinarily cowardly and
readily accept, whoever was thrown up by circumstances and chance happenings in
the opportunistic hope of clinching a ministerial slot.
Of course, not the best ever turned up because the mediocre leaders feared the
intellectual prowess of qualified and experienced compatriots.
As a result, a nation that can boast of surgeons, nuclear scientists, the most
highly qualified jurists and philosophers, has been regularly governed by
marginalized political under-achievers and no-so-brilliant men.
A few of the women have performed well because they were qualified and honest.
Nigeria has been subjected to so much impunity that it has led to wickedness in
both high and low places.
Everyone thrives by hook or crook. It is laughable that a nation, which is known
for its religious affiliations with the two Abrahamic religious orders, contain
the most ungodly ritualists, kidnappers, ministerial under-hand operators and
fake leaders.
In concluding my 1991 Guardian article, I wrote,” Those dictators, who have
ruled the world, are constant reminders of the counterfeit nature of man, but
history is ever so kind to document their ignoble ends and stresses to the
aspirant, the powerlessness of power”
If one looks back at the recent events in the Middle East and North Africa, this
observation is very apt.
If one considers the undignified behavior of our former military/political
“leaders” and their shameless ranting, one begins to see that power is nothing
but the illusion of people, who lacking in self-worth and propelled my mystical
forces that rule the Universe, impose themselves on societies.
If one ponders the wickedness associated with politics on a global scale, one
will clearly understand why holy men, pious men, honest men, conscientious men
and women avoid politics.
All those, who are HEAVEN-bound politely reject political appointments because
in Nigeria, such posts invariably lead to temptations that put one into a vortex
that leads to corruption, palpitations and loss of good name.
To enter into the politics of power and deceit is awesome. This is why the Bible
asks,” What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffers the
loss his own soul? The loss of a man’s soul is a terrible loss!
The Nigerian political philosophy is the acquisition of wealth at all costs or
to fraternize with people in office at all cost. Intellectual considerations are
treated with contempt. This attitude was promoted by our military “leaders, “who
found it very convenient to exclude knowledgeable people from politics, except
those supine intellectuals, who imbibed the “owambe” mentality.
The lack of really coherent synthesis of philosophies of governance has robbed
Nigeria of the ability to think in original terms. We excel in being mimickers,
imbibing outlandish cultures and infamies associated with borrowed robes that do
not fit.
Political power can be demonic, when it grabs the soul and turns a man from man
to brute and from brute to demi-god. Then he becomes a monarch of all he surveys
propped up by mystics, psychics, fallen angels, spirits with reprobate
inclinations, powerful medium that insist that he must cross the Rubicon before
his terminal initiation into atavistic urgings..
If you carefully consider the political behavior of world leaders and their
decision-making culture, you will be amazed that some people can be sent to
their graves through political decisions that serve no good.
See what Adolf Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito did to mankind. So, who wants to lead
people he can never create and can never understand, all in the name of wielding
political power?
Politicians age rapidly because of a self-imposed hallucination of being the No
1 citizen, a position, fraught with dangers and insecurity, hence the
military/police security cordons.
Power is a passing phase and it gets bored quickly in the hands of one person,
no matter how good. It also generates envy. Who does not want to appoint his
betters and get the better of them, speaking to them at Executive Meetings, in
the language of privileged governor!
From earliest times, man has been fascinated by power, which has regularly done
man in. The only power that is inspiring and beneficial is spiritual power,
which YAWEH gives to those, whom “He foreknew, He also predestined to be
conformed to the image of His Son that He might be the firstborn among many
brethren.
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called, whom He called, these He
also justified and whom He justified, and these He also glorified. What then
shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Yet, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.(
Romans 29:31 and 37).
If one is among God’s elect, how can one serve a President? This is why real
priests do not hanker for political appointments or governmental earthly favours.
We are priests forever according to the Order of Melchisedek.
God’s elect possess spiritual powers and the Holy Spirit teaches us all things
including the powerlessness of earthly, temporary power.
So, my son do no fret because of those in power and “do not be drunk with win,
in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18)
There is a difference between spirituality and spiritualism. While the former
means the intensity with which one deals with religious matters, the latter is
the belief that one can draw power or knowledge from mediums. The danger is that
one may not know the medium one is taking firewood from its farm.
Leaders in political power seek medium connections through which they hope would
keep them in political power. Very often, they mortgage a whole nation to
demons. Through prayers deliverance can be obtained and the demons disarmed by
the power of YAWEH. This is why Nigeria remains strong and indivisible.
The Monsignors in the Catholic Church have powers of deliverance. One of such
priests is Most Reverend Dr. Hassan Mathew Kukah, the Bishop- Designate of
Sokoto.
A son was born in Zango-Kataf, who became a priest, and will soon become a
Bishop and could become the fourth Black Pope. This is prophesying in JESUS
mighty name! For the Lord said that anything we ask in Jesus name and believing
that it will come to pass, it will.
I have admired priests since my mass-serving days at Christ the King School, Aba,
at the Cathedral in Cologne, for the Arch Bishop, who now occupies the papacy in
Rome, for Rev. Gypkens of the Frankfurt Diocese, who gave me a Doctoral
scholarship and other Pastors and Church Elders.
It is indisputable that the power of Jesus is all-conquering and His name is
higher above other names.
These END-TIMES must be put under God’s’ control. The transformation of
societies must begin with the transformation of man’s soul from evil to good and
from good to Godliness.
Professor Dr. Emmanuel Omoh Esiemokhai, a Writer and Academic is the President
of the proposed Afemai University, Fugar, Edo State, Nigeria,
*This article is dedicated to Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of
Sokoto, Nigeria.
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