By Israel Umoh
Year 2023 is still far away, but not to politicians. It is not even far to clergymen; after all they can prophesy events now to manifest in years to come.
As the year approaches, politicians are laying the sub-structure of politics to grab political offices. In so doing, they will work hand in glove with clergymen, herbalists or mediums to snatch their prospective offices.
Moreover, the politicians evolve political strategies to outwit their enemies and throw them overboard.
It is said that a recent meeting between the Governor Udom Emmanuel and fathers of faith in the state, the governor reportedly appealed to the clergymen to support his desire not to hand over the state to a cultist by the time he would leave office in 2023.
In joining the battle to produce the governor, Archbishop Cletus Bassey, Primate of Destiny International Mission, Uyo, has echoed the governor’s message that no cultist will govern the state in the future. The arrow head of ‘Fathers of Faith’ who has kicked off the subtle campaign to enthrone a ‘saint’ failed to list the expected credentials of the next governor of Akwa Ibom State.
On the contrary, Pastor Patrick Henry Edet, the founder of Grace Family, Uyo had on January 1, January 1, 2020, announced that no occultist would rule Akwa Ibom as a governor in 2023.
Both men of God spoke these differently during interviews with privately-owned radion stations in the state. While Cletus spoke in Inspiration 105.9 FM, Uyo, Edet spoke in Planet 101.1 FM, Uyo. While Cletus noted that the fathers of faith were praying as well as the generality of Akwa Ibom people, Edet said the next governor will come from God.
Yet, the servants of God appear to be singing discordant tunes between a cultist and an occultist. Governor is against one and silent on the other. Cletus is supportive of one but is silent on another. By extension, the clergymen are on the same page.
However, the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) in Part 11, section 182, sub-section (1) and (h) state “No person shall be qualified for election to the office of Governor of a State if- he is a member of any secret society.”
Wikipedia says a secret society is “a club or organization whose activities is functioning or membership are concealed from non-members.”
From the definition, cultists and occultists belong to the same boat. But in Nigeria, the constitutional provision is a mere formality as a seeker for the Office of a Governor has never owned up belonging to any nor being indicted before or will ever be dragged to any court of law.
In the epic battle to forestall the cultist-governor, Udom failed to list the credentials of his brand governor. He did not mention his successor. He failed to tell people the suspected cultist-aspirant if he is a member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, or another or is a ‘used-and-dumped’ person.
But then, the father of faith caught the message. Another big ‘job’ in the offing. During Chief Godswill Akpabio’s re-election, the men of God (as they were then known) endorsed him for a second term in the office.
When Udom Emmanuel gunned for the first term in office, they gathered and ‘anointed’ him for the governorship race. Udom sailed through, and they thumped themselves for the feat.
Not done, Udom sought a second term in office. They regrouped and renamed themselves ‘Fathers of Faith’ to give more bite for the governor’s ambition. They rented office in Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, formed and launched Akwa Ibom Christian Assembly in returning Udom to the Hilltop Mansion, Uyo. They embarked on an aggressive grassroots campaign from church-to-church and Udom was re-elected. After, they retired to their churches.
Baring his mind to the radio interviewer, Cletus averred “the fathers of faith in Akwa Ibom have prayed and affirmed that the state is God’s own and no cultist will take over at any time.
“There have been cultists from time, but when have they been able to overrun the state? That shows that God has our state in His hands and would not leave it to suffer.
“I advise Christians to keep praying for the state. God already knows who would emerge the governor in 2023, so let us not over heat the system. We (the fathers of faith in the state) are praying too.”
Are the governor and men of faith waking up to the incursion of cultism into Akwa Ibom politics? Without pretence, for the governor to chase away cultists is akin to a man using cowpea to thicken the soup and after eating, he removes and throws it away.
Why is the torch-light beamed on one little devil- cultism- leaving the big one- occultism- both capable of being used whimsically to manipulate the innocent and naïve ones? Unless the governor convinces the electorates and other partymen that one is better than the other, then the search for ‘Mr-Clean’ governor is an exercise in futility.
Philosophers believe that man is a spiritual being. Cultism and occultism are twin brothers. Both toe lines congenial to their adherents. None is fair to non-adherents. Religious worship should be kept at bay from politics to avoid the masses becoming victims.
A Business Insider published an article in February 2018 that 20 out of 45 US Presidents affiliated with secret societies. The societies include Freemason, Illuminati, Rosicrucians, Bohemian Club, The Family, Skull & Bones and FHC, among others. The issue is that in saner clime, occultism is embedded in politics. It is not that it is an acceptable societal norm.
In Nigeria and in Akwa Ibom, many secret cults and occultic confraternities are prevalent. For example, most Nigerian politicians and religious leaders apart from being members of secret cults are also members of different occultic groups. Yet, our political and religious leaders feign knowledge of such and at times wear Janus batch on the church pulpit to disparage membership of such groups. What hypocrisy!
At the moment, is the political space not fouled by the stench of the ‘family members’ in governance? Why has the Governor and some clergymen particularly laying emphasis on the governorship position to the detriment of other positions? How about Deputy Governor, Senators, House of Representative members, House of assemblymen, local government chairmen, councilors and public office holders? Unless the governor and the fathers of faith are magicians, then they will put ‘omo’ in one pail with water. In a fell swoop, they will throw the clean water on all ‘saint’ aspirants to purge them of ‘sins’ to allow for the emergence of a non-cultist governor.
Is the prayer the only weapon that can produce a governor? How about other intrigues and considerations by the electorates? Should Christians fast and pray for the emergence of a governor instead of the man who will do God’s will- enthronement of good governance? After the election, shouldn’t Christians advise the governor-to-be what to do to bring succour to the down-trodden?
If Christians should form prayer squads for leaders to emerge, let them visit Dubai, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Russia, India and China to learn, re-learn and unlearn that the leaders in those countries go beyond prayer by employing modules of good governance to turn those places into an earthly paradise.
Why can’t men of God in our time behave like their contemporaries in the Biblical time of Israel? Prophets such as Elijah, Moses, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel and many were frank and courageous in telling kings what God said without mincing words or caring about whose ox was gored. Are men of God in our time emulating them in telling our leaders what God says not what they feel? Why can’t they return to the old ways of telling the governors and the governed the truth and nothing but the truth about pervading corruption and misrule?
The insistence of the governor to stop a cultist from occupying the plum office is questionable and self-serving. It is immoral for Udom to arrogate the power to produce a governor of a state to himself; after all, God loves the wicked and the righteous and throws one up one and throws another down for His glory. Only God not man can put whether wicked or saintly king on the throne.
Let Governor Udom and his soothsayers, not dissipate energy in running a profile of the man they want to enthrone as Akwa Ibom governor. Daniel 4:17 says …to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomever He will, and setteth up over it to the basest of men. God gave power and dominion to Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian King. When he became arrogant, God overthrew and drove him into bush to live with and eat like an animal.
Prayer is efficacious, no doubt. Just as the demon of cultism and occultism cannot be exorcised from some religious sects in the world so also it is difficult to exorcise the same from Nigerian politics. Already, the people he is reviling now whom he might have used in the past to take over power may not forgive if he fails to match his word with action by stopping a cultist from mounting the saddle.
It is time Nigeria indeed Akwa Ibom thought of strengthening institutions- law enforcement agencies and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to arrest the upsurge of secret societies. At the same time, parents, society and the church should de-emphasise money politics but should inculcate sound moral values among the youths. INEC should mount leadership training for people intending to hold elective and appointive offices and be made to pass compulsory leadership examinations. Without some safeguards, cultists and occultists will continue to dominate Nigerian and Akwa Ibom politics in 2023 and beyond.
