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This President Needs Our Prayers By Bukhari Muhammed Bello Jega
I often wonder the capacity of an average Nigerian to reason and champion a course, when it matters most. Here we are again, back to the theatre of complaining and name calling. To me this is rather a comedy of intellect, for a nation that prides itself as the giant of Africa, that has assembled a galaxy of intellectual stars, but, lacks the moral and reasoning efficacy to judge and direct itself when the moment comes. I think “fatalism” is the best word to describe the thinking behaviour of Nigerians. Now that, we have made our choice, we should be sincere enough to own up to the consequence of whatever happens to us. As for me, from day one, I never believed President Goodluck Jonathan has the capacity to lead Nigeria; nor do I believe in his campaign slogan of giving us “Fresh air”, because as a Muslim, I know vividly, President Goodluck or any human being lacks the capacity to produce a single drop of air; talk less of producing a “fresh one”. To me, that is the jurisdiction of God Almighty. I believe, that was the beginning of our fatal mistake. But, for a nation that prides itself as the most religious country in the world; nobody, reflected on this blasphemy by the Goodluck campaign organization. I know the God I worship is a jealous God; especially if humanity begin to encroach and accord to themselves the duties and responsibilities of the Magnificent, All Conquering and Merciful God.
The circumstance of the last 100 days since this government was inaugurated, has called for sober reflections and prayers for President Goodluck Jonathan, who seems overwhelmed with the growing challenges of nation building facing his presidency. We need to pray for the man that has no shoe and was born poor, to overcome the daunting task of navigating the Nigerian state out of the quagmires and insecurity we find ourselves in. No doubt, prayers are important in our daily life. I am not of those who criticized or call for prayers; but, I believe prayers, if done with sincerity and total devotion to God Almighty, is important in the circumstance we find ourselves. 100 days in office, is significant in the life of an elected leader. This is because it sets the stage for what is to be anticipated in the near future. If the realities of our circumstances is anything to go by; then, we are doomed into an abysmal of hopelessness, insecurity and confusion in the next few years ahead.
I believe whatever happens to us, is a direct product of what our own hands have signed up to. So, therefore, complains and criticism should be directed to us; not the man who lacks the experience and leadership temperament, but, had the opportunity of using the contradiction of our existence to his advantage to cliché the presidency for himself with the simple fatalistic word “Good Luck”. Serious and passionate nations look at the past antecedent, individual capacity and charisma, morality and knowledge in people aspiring for leadership position as a yardstick for leadership recruitment process. To them, leadership is a sacred responsibility that can build or destroy the social fabrics of the society if given to the right or wrong persons. But, for us in this country of lost opportunity, the ability of individual or group of persons to induce and mobilize people along ethnic, regional and religious lines and the capacity to distribute illegal resources and opportunity are yardstick or score cards for the leadership recruitment process.
Whatever, we may say about President Goodluck Jonathan; my believe is that it is already too late, because the man is already the President and Commander In Chief of the most populous black nation in the world, or so they say. Although he lacks the passion and leadership sagacity to lead a diverse and complicated country like Nigeria; the only thing that remains for us is for the belligerent masses of this country to pray and continue with our activism to push him, the man that lack shoes and was born poor to seize the moment with courage and determination in kick starting the national redemption process and lead Nigeria out of this national hopelessness and confusion. Prayers and activism is the surest way to push the man to do what is important and build the leadership ability in him. I believe leaders emerged through difficult circumstances. Most leaders that emerge and light the candle of development and transformation were leaders in difficult circumstance. These leaders not only rose to the challenges of their time, but, these challenges broaden their heart to mobilize, energize, motivate and inspire their people into action with patience, courage, determination, foresight and sincerity to lead their country out of despondency, confusion, poverty and insecurity.
The
growing national challenges especially the insecurity, should be seized by
the President to reassure his country men and women of government’s
resolve to tackle the crisis head-on. And in tackling the crisis, the
government has to be sincere and build the confidence of her citizens, not
all these shenanigan of being on top of the situation all the time.
President Jonathan needs to be serious about the crisis at hand; while we
pray for God’s intervention; we also need a president and leaders that are
sincere in what they say during official pronunciations and what they do
in their private life.
My call for prayers is not because I have resigned to prayers alone, without commitment on our part; but, I believe God’s servant must supplicate because his entire existence needs Almighty God. Man in essence is absolutely poor, needy, and dependent. In case, he becomes deprived of God’s blessings even for an instant, he will be destroyed as if he has never existed. Whatever reaches a servant is from Almighty God; therefore, a servant should admit this primordial dependency by his tongue and confirm his poverty, servitude and needs through practical actions, which are the real meaning of worship. At the time of supplication, one should remember Almighty God, establish humming communications with and, like a humble servant with teary eyes, presents his needs before Him. We need prayers especially in this era of unanticipated era of bomb explosion and wickedness. Prayer is the refuge for the people, since the government has failed or is continuously failing to protect lives and properties.
It is should interest us, in leading this prayers, we don’t need the hypocritical stand of leading a national prayer session or assemblies across the country to pray for Nigeria; No! But, this prayer session is an individual obligation, in your private moment with God. Over the years, national prayer sessions have been turned into an avenue for national hypocritical display of perfidy by the men of God. We don’t need national prayers; what we need is individuals that are sincere and devoted to pray for Nigeria in their private moment, without any government inducement. This is because, the God I serve is a pure and sincere God; and accepts nothing except a sincere devotion from His servants. For the private prayer warriors, please this is an opportunity for sincere worship; not for prayer contractors (Babalawos, fake pastors, imams, alfa and sorcerers), please we don’t need your service because this is a serious business, and we don’t have time for hypocrisy, deception and lies in this prayer session. This is because in offering prayers to the Merciful and Beneficent God, we require total devotion, sincerity, regrets, repentance, humility, tranquility and assurance of His Mercy and Blessing. The state of supplication and humming private communication with Almighty God is one of the most pleasurable, beautiful and invaluable conditions of a servant. Private prayers are mostly acceptable to God than this public display of hypocrisy; this is because God Almighty in His infinite mercy calls upon mankind to pray to him in secret and he shall answer the cry of his beloving servants. He calls in the Glorious Qur’an “(O mankind!) Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret. Lo! He loveth not aggressors” (7:55)
In conclusion, O God here is your sinful servant returning to you with sincere heart of devotion, seeking Your mercy on what my country has turned into. I know we don’t deserve your mercy; after equating Your Benevolence mercy and blessing of giving us fresh air everyday, with the fresh air of your sinful servant Gooodluck Jonathan. Now that you have left us alone to witness the fresh air of Goodluck Jonathan, we are now witnessing a dusting and smoked air of bombs and death. I know that, this is the price we have to pay for our stupidity and ungratefulness. And also, I know we do not deserve Your mercy and protection after becoming the biggest beast in the world; killing, mutilating and maiming the blood and bodies of Your righteous servants in Jos, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ibadan, Borno, Anambra, Port Harcourt, etc. I know You have vowed if humanity and angles should gather together and kill Your righteous servant, you will never forgive such generation and you will inflict them, with hardship. O God, I know very well we have by passed our limits in this killing industry in our dear nation; I know the difficulties and crisis we are witnessing today, are the product of our very hands; but, here we are submitting in repentance, regrets and humbling ourselves before Your very Self; seeking Your forgiveness and mercy over our sins and actions.
O God! We know you are a merciful God and often listen to the cry of your servants, who are poor, wretched, confused, ignorant, incompetence, egotistic and morally bankrupt. O God! Even if you are not going to forgive us (which I hope You will), forgive us because of the innocence of our little children and aged parents; who could not comprehend and understand, why we the sinful adults have created a world with so much hatred, confusion, war, bloodshed and corruption. They are innocent of our wrong doing and I know You are a Just God, so, You would not allow the society to be destroyed including the innocent children in our midst, because it is not the fault of theirs.
O God! Give your sinful servant, President Goodluck Jonathan the courage, determination, foresight, fear of You and passion to be his own man and the decisive ability to rise to the occasion and change our fears into hope, our pains into happiness, our insecurity into security, our poverty into affluence, our arrogance and wickedness into humility and pity; our taste for bloodshed to love and compassion. O God! I know You perfected this country with all it requires to the extent of over pampering us with everything; but, our egotism and selfish interests have made us to remain ungrateful and postpone our development and prosperity into the future; O God! For the sake of our little children and the old, make us to cleanse our hearts from these dangerous ailments; so that, we can appreciate and harness this potentials for our greatness. Ameeeen!!!
These are my prayers, even though in public; but, done with total sincerity and devotion, because, I believe in the mercy and justice of the Magnificent, Compassionate and All Powerful King of Kings. |