As politicians in Anambra state have continued, rather desperately and callously, to make political gains out of the Uke Adoration Prayer Ground stampede which resulted in no fewer than 28 deaths, families of the affected victims have been left alone to lick their wounds and mourn their departed ones. I still cannot really come to terms with the very cheap and easy manner hale and hearty worshippers who had thronged the Prayer ground to commune with God were sent to their early graves. As usual, tongues are wagging. Several rhetorical questions have become the order of the day. How Anambrarians view and assess this gory situation is largely determined by their political leaning. Above all, this is another sad and unacceptable development all together.
Just recently, during the Eid el Kabir celebration in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, the world was treated to another gory story of how no fewer than 15 lives were lost while struggling and falling over themselves for Sallah gifts from Senator Bukola Saraki, a onetime governor of the state. Media report had it that the Sallah stampede was the second, having encountered one in 2010. As usual, after days of allegations and counter allegations, everyone became silent and life went on normal. And that’s all.
Our elected and appointed representatives have indeed reduced ordinary Nigerians to mere paupers and people that should be treated with disdain. Like the devil, our leaders have no free gift for Nigerians. Each time they spend ‘their’ money on Nigerians, they are bound to get times 10 of such money in return. This is how bad and crazy things have become in this part of the world. It is an awkward situation whereby those saddled with the responsibility of holding offices in trust for the populace see such as an opportunity to enrich themselves and their cronies. Resources meant for all citizens are cornered by a few gluttonous elites who would in turn hand out peanuts to the masses in media-hyped ceremonies.
Lives have become so cheap in this part of the world that even poor death pays nothing to lay claim to any. To an extent, domestic animals like dogs, cats, goats and sheep fair much better if compared to the miserable lives several Nigerians are living. Poverty has continued to rise astronomically, while our leaders act as though all is well. Unemployment has reached an all time high. Extreme hunger has become normal in a country where a Minister sees nothing wrong in cruising around in bullet proof cars purchased for whooping N255 Million. The sad reality is that, while official profligacy has reached an all time high, same crop of leaders have continued to slam us with reasons why they should all feed fat and order their aides to ‘Do the Needful’ at the expense of the masses.
The stampede at the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, in Idemili North local government area of Anambra State is one incident that no sane mind should be allowed to fizzle out just like others. Trust our leaders, already, politicians and security agencies have all come out threatening fire and brimstone to fish out those behind the ‘dastardly and inhuman act’. Our leaders, just like most Nigerians are very reactionary in nature. We derive unquantifiable pleasure in exhausting energy, time and resources on issues we all know we cannot record any success. Innocent worshippers have been made to die for no justifiable reason. Breadwinners were mowed, some in their prime. Dreams shattered, hopes dashed and potential leaders had their journey to stardom truncated. All this happened in just a night, under the watchful eyes of the clergy, politicians and helpless ordinary worshippers.
The organizer of the crusade, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obinma, where thousands from across Nigeria throng to for prayers, healing and spiritual retreat obviously had no slightest knowledge of the fact that politicians had plans to hijack the gathering for that day. I am very sure, if he had known, the crusade would have been called off at the 11th hour. But like human that he is, he couldn’t have known everything. Regrettably, instead of harvesting souls for God, dead bodies were harvested while several other worshippers sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Reports say, an estimated 100,000 worshippers reportedly attended the crusade because, besides coinciding with the Feast of All Saints, it was also the first Saturday of the month, so one cannot truly ascertain the number of those killed and those injured. It is lamentably worrisome to discover that a certain political party’s search for votes was largely responsible for last weekend’s avoidable disaster in Anambra state. Imagine what desperation could cause.
As reported in the media, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra state who also claimed is a regular attendee of the crusade went there this time around in company of 10 persons, including the National Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, the candidate of the party in the November 16 governorship election, Chief Willie Obiano, as well as two siblings of the governor. Obviously, one doesn’t need the services of a soothsayer to unravel what prompted Governor Obi to grace the crusade ground with such a powerful team. Without doubts, vote seeking and to appeal to would-be voters must be the rason de’tat.
Expectedly, politicians across different party platforms in the state have since pointed accusing fingers at Governor Obi and his team for being responsible for the attacks and subsequent deaths recorded. Reports in some section of the media quoted eye witnesses as saying the stampede occurred when Obi started campaigning for his gubernatorial candidate and there were shouts of disapproval, causing his security aides to fire tear gas into the crowd. According to the governor, this allegation is a product of mischief and vain attempt to calumnies him and his party, APGA.
While addressing the media the governor said, “When the spiritual director gave me the opportunity to speak, I noticed something unusual as I saw people carrying the posters of politicians at the adoration ground. I have been going for the crusade there and, on this occasion, I stayed for six hours and left. Our vehicles were parked two kilometres away and this is a place people have been visiting for a long time without any incident. It was later that I heard what happened and we are working hard with security agencies to find out those behind the incident. A holy place should not be a place for playing politics.”
I personally see some sense in the allegation that Governor Obi had seized the opportunity of speaking at the programme to openly canvass supports for the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, Chief Willie Obiano ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Anambra state. Trust our politicians; they know how best to kill 20 birds with just a stone. A Nigerian politician is not an opportunity waster. They know when and how to use every opportunity that presents itself to floor their opponents and possibly sell themselves. One or all of these might probably be the reasons why supporters of rival parties at the event resisted Governor Obi’s attempt to turn a religious gathering into a political one.
Our clergymen are notoriously becoming insensitive to growing concern about the fact that criminals, ritualists, prostitutes and electoral fraudsters are given front rows in our Mosques and Churches. Aside giving them the regular opportunity of brazenly flaunting their ill gotten wealth, our Imams and Pastors often site them as good examples for our teeming youth population. Our religious leaders see nothing wrong in not rejecting stolen or looted money from members of their congregation. We desire to see men and women of God who could summon the courage and garner strength to look straight into the eyes of a thief and ask him to take his ill-gotten wealth elsewhere! Is this possible?
The question on the lips of many is, would the organizers of the Uke Adoration Ground crusade have also allowed candidates of the APC, PDP, PPA or SDP to mount their rostrum and address their congregation should they had walked up to them? Many are indeed worried that politicians, especially the incumbents, have devised various means of hijacking whatever event, be it religious or social gathering, to choke Nigerians with their boring, uninspiring and unintelligent speeches. It is high time our clergymen are told in clear terms that criminals and people of questionable character shouldn’t be celebrated or given special recognition in our places of worship.
Undoubtedly, should Governor Obi had not mounted the rostrum to sell the candidate of his party and equally drag rival parties candidates’ names In the mud, the crusade would have gone peacefully without having reasons to regret hosting it in the first place. For the umpteenth time, our religious centres are for spiritual exercises and not venues for politicians to engage themselves in war of wits or settle their political scores.
Abdullahi Yunusa, wrote in from Imane, Kogi State.Meetprofwills@yahoo.com*
No comments:
Post a Comment