Adeboye’s anticipated allegory?

 Adeboye’s anticipated allegory?

It would be recalled that Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye was one of the voices that clamoured for restructuring of Nigeria to avoid a break up. This was in October 2020. As a true elder statesman, and a patriot, with access to the seat of power, he met President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock in August 2020 behind closed doors. The outcome of that meeting was not divulged to the public but analysts believed that issues such as insecurity and restructuring of the country were on the front burner in their tête-à-tête … However, it will take passionate, patriotic and progressive leaders who know and value the true prophets amongst them to emerge so Nigerians would not wander and waste in the wilderness as the journey of forty days took the hard – hearted and rebellious people of Israel forty years. Are we not on the route to that wilderness wandering whereas there is a true prophet amongst us? (John Ekundayo, in an excerpt from: “Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye @ 80: Is there not a prophet amongst them?” (Part 1), Nation, 27th February 2022).

Every first Sunday of the month, expectedly the church is usually filled to the brim. The atmosphere is ecstatic, elated and expectant. Men and women are in their best sartorial splendour with the church’s pulpit and pews populated with bright colours simply and seemingly shaping congregants’ mood and faith. However, on the 5th June 2022 gruesome and gory attack on innocent worshippers of St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ono State was a dastard and demonizing act carried out with a heart of stone. It was alleged that up to 40 souls were needlessly sent to early graves in that singular incident. It would be the first of such unwarranted attacks on worshippers in a southwest state of Nigeria! It is unfathomable!! This columnist completed his secondary school at Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure, Ondo State. He has some men as classmates and senior colleagues from Owo. In a chat with one of them, he pointedly told this columnist that the venue of the attack was within 250 metres of the Olowo’s (the monarch of the ancient town) palace. What an effrontery by the terrorists in the heart of Yorubaland on a Sunday?

Recently, Zamfara State was on fire with marauding terrorists maiming, kidnapping and killing innocent citizens that disrupted both social and economic activities in the state. The agrarian state supposedly to be awash in expected ecstasy in this rainy season, as majority of indigenes are farmers, was sickened and saddened. Many have fled their native homesteads or farmlands as they consider the “safety first” slogan! The man in the saddle in the state, Governor Bello Matawalle, as widely written in this column last week, would no more “sit-down-look” (apology to the late, Chief Bola Ige, the Cicero of Ibadan), despite the vehement and vociferous voices of critics, he analogously acted instinctively like a proverbial goat chased against the wall. In Yoruba common parlance, such a distraught goat is wont to furtively and ferociously face the attacker damning the consequences! Zamfara recently launched her much advertised Community Protection Guards (CPG) similar to the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno and the Amotekun Corps in southwestern Nigeria.

Anticipated Analogy or Allegory?

The referred man of God, the humble and honourable, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, not a man that loves or admires media klieg light, was once again on the front pages of major newspapers. It was reported by some media houses that he declared “fire-for-fire” on terrorists. Does this translate to calling for arms to combat these heartless and horrendous homos sapiens? It was a truism that the phrase “fire-for-fire” was uttered at the Holy Communion Service, in which this columnist was a congregant, however, there was a misnomer in taking it for the congregants or worshippers to arm themselves with guns in confronting the terrorists. Expatiating further, at the Holy Ghost Service the following day and the Thanksgiving Service of Sunday, 3rd July 2022, televised globally, the revered and referred elder statesman succinctly and saliently clarified what he meant in plain terms. In Biblical times, the disciples sometimes misunderstood the message of the Lord Jesus Christ, making Him ask: “Are ye also yet without understanding?” (Matt 15v16). He reiterated that the import of his analogous statement is that there is nowhere in the Bible that declares that a child of God cannot, and should not, defend himself. Going further, he stated that though the Bible says that if you as a Christian you are slapped on the right, what should you do? The Bible says allegorically that you should turn the left. Then, he rhetorically asked after your assailant had slapped you on the left, what are you to do? The congregation was more or less expectedly silent. He said when God is silent on a matter, then, he is saying: over to you. The apparent anticipated response from the massive and mammoth congregation resulted in applause, more or less signalling affirmation. The proverbial or analogous distraught goat again called to the context! Revisiting and reflecting on Zamfara and the controverted Matawalle’s directive, where are we, as a concocted and convoluted federalism, going from here? Is the government at the centre not seemingly floundering, faltering and subsequently heading to the precipice, if proper action is not taken before the 2023 elections as more states follow the footsteps of Matawalle and many religious leaders rightly prepare their people for instinctive self-defense? After all, even God Almighty allows the eye to defend itself against intruders and invaders by erecting automatic eye-valves (gates) to shut the eye at the approach of such daring creatures. There are pertinent, salient and soul stirring questions that followers, at this juncture, would like to ask: Is the intelligence apparatus of this country dead? Do we need to hire savvy and skillful professionals to salvage us from the ruins as there are seeming signals of infiltrations within the rank and file of virtually all government agencies dealing with security? Is the situation so simply and squarely distasteful and damning? The security situation is seemingly scary partly because the government apparently did not see it as a vexing issue, ab initio. Presently, it is overtly overwhelming, overbearing and overstretching, yet the almighty Federal Government often appeal to citizens that her “men and officers are on top of the game” – usual euphemism while the country is bleeding and burning beneath the beautiful fashionistas’ facial appearance of our leaders!

Any Implication for direction of voting come 2023 elections?

The Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for the umpteenth time has stated that the way out of the security imbroglio is for each state to be allowed to have her own police. As the Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF), he was merely reiterating part of the communique that formed the May 2021 Asaba Declaration of the governors from the south. This columnist will like the followers to keep pushing on the discourse, debates and dialogues on the amendment of the constitution before the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari hands over the reins of power come 29th May 2023 to his successor. However, at this juncture, it is worthwhile to inquire: why is our honourable National Assembly (NASS) maintaining a dignified silence on this matter of national importance? I recall the interview on Arise TV with the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, who doubles as the Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), pointedly stating that the NASS has hitherto not brought up any bill on the State Police matter. It will be good for NASS to “soro soke” (raise her voice) on this matter of national concern. Be that as it may, in the well-circulated list of the areas to be touched regarding amendment to the antiquated and atavistic 1999 Constitution (as amended), there was apparently none that impinges on state policing! What is our problem? Why are we expecting different results whilst we keep doing the same things in our country?

In concluding this piece, as elections into offices beckon in 2023, the mass of followers, the electorate, should demand from every serious aspirant on the ballot what they want to offer regarding security specifically on the issue of state policing. The followers should not just rest on the aspirants promises but vet their manifestos and demand topmost ones among them to sign memorandum of understanding (MOU) with notable groups and communities in order for them to be committed to acting according to the social contract bonding them with the followers when the winners among them eventually assumed offices. It is high time we demanded accountability from contenders on the road to 2023 if we are not to recurringly produce accidental legislators, governors and presidents!