A Chat With Egghead: A Humanist's Impression Of Nigerian Christians



O'Seun Egghead Odewale, a Humanist, is first of four children in a moderate Muslim family of six. He was a students activist, a civil society actor, Personal Assistant and Senior Special Assistant in the Ekiti State Governor’s Office. He is currently a research fellow at the Harvard University researching on Governance and New Media. In a lively telephone chat, Egghead shared his impression of Nigerian Christians. Below is an excerpt of the chat.   

 

Q: What is Humanism all about?

A: I’ve at various points in time been involved with the activities of the Humanist Movement. It is all about humanizing; all about evoking and naturalising human relationships in such a way as to pursue the common good of the general public.

The humanist basically tries to seek a psychological, emotional, ecologically friendly, and if you like, cultural, good of the general public through different activities, attributes, attainments, commitments, and self-preservation that promotes a conscious awareness of the self-interest vis-a-vis the general interest of the public in any given society in such a way that the interests of any individual do not override the common interests of the general public.

Q: Is there any difference between Humanism, Agnosticism and Atheism?

A: I don’t think there is any significant variation in all of these. Actually, there are points of intersections. The Atheist does not believe in the existence of God, and does not believe that there is a supernatural being out there, the agnostic is not quite sure there is a Godhead or any sort of unseen deity, whereas the humanist could actually be in any of these folds.

But whereas the atheist or agnostic can form laws, rules or creeds that are actually tangential to the general good of the society, the humanist seeks to pursue creeds or deeds that promote the wellbeing of the generality of the public. 

It doesn’t really matter what religion, belief systems, cultural systems etc; what mores, norms, that guide society; the humanists has a set of creed that speaks to what is perceived as promoting the general good of the public. I think that is the basic difference.

Also, humanists do not pursue any religious beliefs or any of the ‘standard’ or ‘traditional’ religious beliefs.

These three creeds intersect. You may have a humanist atheist or a humanist agnostic. However, not all agnostics or atheists are humanists.  Humanists can be atheists or agnostics in so far as they pursue creeds that promote the good of the general public.

Q: How strong is the Humanist Movement in Nigeria in terms of numbers? Is the movement growing?

A: I wouldn’t say that the Humanist movement as a group is growing. But I can say for sure that it is a general or global trend.

    People around the world are now shirking religious beliefs and tenets for individualism, self-consciousness, and a sort of religious self-determination. People are now able to consciously prescribe for themselves new norms, laws, and beliefs that they want to adhere to.

   I see this happening in different places, crossing different demography in our society. Basically, I think it is something far beyond Nigeria. It is a global trend.

   Having said that, it is important to note that as population grows, you also have a corresponding increase in the number of those who go to church or mosque or have that attachment to a religious belief or some supernatural being somewhere who helps them resolve their problems, patent or impractical.

 

 

Q: According to some sources, at least 50% of Nigeria’s population are Christians. What is your impression of Nigerian Christians?

A: The population of Christians in Nigeria does not matter; neither does the population of Muslims matter to me.

    What I see is both Christians and Muslims proselytising, trying to conscript folks who do not lean towards their religious alignment into their perception of what the society should look like.

    In the same vein, I see a lot of deception. I see a lot of straightjacketing. I see a lot of peer pressure. In fact, there is a lot of blackmail adopted against those who are not “religious”.

   So, in the whole cycle of trying to find solutions to the myriad of problems that not only bedevils the nation as an entity but also individuals at their different levels, we have individuals who believe that all the problems that they have confronted in life may be resolved by some kind of attachment, or commitment, to some supernatural being, that they don’t have access to, or cannot realize at any particular time.

   They also have this sentimental longing for religious cleansing through those who are perceived to be appointed agents (clerics, on all sides of the divide) for this supernatural being that have been spoken about.

    Again, there is no agreement within Christendom about the nature of this supernatural being that everybody is expected to worship under that umbrella. You see Catholics having variant religious modes of worship from the Anglican; the Orthodox contemplation is in contradiction with the Protestants and those who are moderate Christian followers.

    Then you have Christendom pitted against Islam in many ways including in the means they try to reach this Godhead to which both profess obeisance.

   The Humanist sees all of these as confusion that makes people brainwashed into certain mindsets and colours of thinking that does not allow for some kind of rational thinking, some form of imaginative or creative assessment of a particular problem with a bid to finding lasting and enduring solutions to such problems.

    Rather than work out the solution to a particular problem, [Christians] subscribe to abdicate the solution to that problem to the Godhead that is believed to have all the power to solve that problem but they can only draw the benefits from the Godhead by providing certain incentives that makes him to see them as preferred recipients of auspicious divine intervention in any particular situation that beset them.

 

 

Q: What are the best things that Nigerian Christians have brought to the table in pursuance of the Nigerian Project?

A: I think the things that come out clearly for me is the charity and hope that the Church and Christendom bring to the table. I think the church has done remarkably well in that regard.

    You can imagine a situation where the Church is absent and that charity and the hope that things will be better through the intervention of the Godhead were to be absent. I can imagine the kind of chaos, the catastrophe into which the country could have been plunged. 

    But because we have the Church, we have people who continue to hope their prayers, their supplications, their various spiritual and religious rites would one day be accepted and a magic wand or command statement would change the entire way in which things are done, that things happen in the country. That is a significant thing that Christendom has brought to national development.

   Of course an extension of that charity is the fact that some churches offer opportunities and assistance to those who need it in the society. It reduces the pressure we would otherwise have on the society. Essentially, they offer solace and consolation from the myriads of troubles we face daily as a nation.

Q: The Nigerian Church perceives itself as the moral conscience of society. Do you think it is living up to that perception?

A: It depends on how the society is configured. I think there are lots of contradictions. A society that is secular cannot look up to the Church as its compass.

    A set of provisions as enshrined in the Constitution will determine what will become the reference point in terms of the moral direction for society to follow. Each society will definitely have its norms and mores that it follows within that context.

    It is important to note that there are societies that are fluid in their regard, or alteration, of the Grundnorm. Where society is flexible and open to changes, it is easier to accommodate new voices, creeds, and ethos within its fold. But where a society is xenophobic, it is more difficult and depends on how these, usually foreign, religions are able to co-locate with either the individualistic tendencies within the society or the traditional local religions that is already in existence in that particular society.

 

 Q: What are the things that put you off Nigerian Christianity?

A: As an individual, I have been tolerant of different religious beliefs. I wouldn’t say there is something particular that puts me off Nigerian Christianity. In fairness, Nigerian Christians have been quite nice. I’ll rather be tolerant of their views.

    But one thing that worries me is the newfound inclination towards prosperity in Christendom.

The church itself is political. When you have two or three individuals communing, politics abound, even within the family. So the idea of political Christianity is not bad. If Christendom wants to get involved in politics for the purpose of protecting the group interest of its members, I don’t see anything wrong with that.

Q: Most people I’ve spoken to want to know what Humanists think about life after death, abortion, same-sex marriage, homosexuality, divorce and capital punishment. What are your thoughts on these issues?

A: I don’t believe in life after death. I believe when I die, I die, I go into the ground, I decay and go back into the earth.

  Personally, I don’t support abortion, but I don’t deride or judge those who do.
 

  I am indifferent about homosexuality and same-sex marriage. They really don’t affect me so I’m indifferent about them.

I am a staunch advocate of divorce. If the marriage is not working, I see no reason why two people should magnet each other permanently because the society expects it. So, if divorce has to be the way out, I don’t oppose it in any form whatsoever. I think it should be encouraged provided it will not be abused. I am not, in anyway, a fan of the union of marriage; hence my position on divorce could be rationalized.

I can support capital punishment in some instances. But it depends on the kind of crimes we are looking at here. If the crime is murder, I think I can support capital punishment. If it can be proven that it was committed out of the sheer malice of the individual, not for self-defence or the protection of the life and property of a group, why not? I think capital punishment should be applied for very few and justifiable instances.

 

 

CHRISTIAN PARENTING By Suzan X

Today I attended a little gathering of God's people, kind of like a fellowship of young Christian brethren. We were talking about salvation and the person who anchored the program asked a few of us to share our salvation story. One of the ladies at the meeting caught my attention when she mentioned that her mom was the one who led her to Christ.

Why did she catch my attention? Because it was a long way off my own salvation story! My parents (believe it or not) never told me about being saved as a child. They took us (my siblings and I) to Sunday school every Sunday and seriously taught us valuable things about honesty, integrity, hard work and respect. In short, they were morally correct but they didn't tell us what we must do to be saved. It was God in His infinite mercy that worked His miracle, pulled me out of the hole I hid myself, and made me His own. Hallelujah!
 

 Although I cannot say what would have been different if my parents were the ones that led me to Christ or told me about being saved, I have come to learn that that is what God expects of Christian parents.

 God commanded man to grow and multiply. One of the purposes of marriage is to produce godly offspring. I have found that different people have different ideas about how to raise a child. Some are interesting, even funny, but some are just plain foolish! For instance, an American couple decided that their 14 year old son's birthday present should be a stripper. So they had one come over to his birthday party which was attended by most of his friends. When criticized, their defence was that they would rather he first sees a striptease at home than have him sneak out in the night and go off to see it on his own. And they genuinely believed they were being very logical! Another woman I read about dresses up like a teenager (even though she is over 40) and goes to parties and clubs with her daughter because she feels since she is a single mother, she should be her daughter's best friend.
 

Perhaps I'm talking too much about unbelievers. Let’s talk about some things brethren do. I heard of a man who had very beautiful daughters, who were all in the university. He was so strict with the girls; they wouldn't even dare dream of being seen near a guy not to mention talking to one. He just wouldn't have it. These girls do just what daddy wants during the holidays but once they’re in school, wow! It's like birds let out of a cage!

I'm not here to criticize people's parenting skills. I always thought I had it all figured out myself until I had my own kid and, although he isn't even three yet, I'm realizing it's not as easy as I thought. There are a few things however that I think every Christian parent should know about raising children:
 

- Children are a gift from God and parents are just caretakers

-Every parent will give account of how they cared for the children given to them

 

-No parent can 'control' their child forever. You have a given time to guide them and then you have to let them lead their own lives and make their own decisions
 

-Train a child in the way he should grow and when he grows he shall not depart from it. 
 

 Christian parents should be very conscious of the enormous task of being parents. It’s from you (a Christian parent) that a child has his first idea about what life is all about. Parents, who have the habit of saying please, sorry, or thank you, are more likely to have children who would say these words without thinking twice. Children first learn about values like honesty, integrity, hard work, kindness, generosity and other good virtues, from their parents. It's also obvious that parents who live by the 'do as I say not as I do' rule don't usually get very good results out of their parenting.
 

 Most importantly, Christian parents must make sure that as soon as their children are old enough to understand, they should take their time to teach them what it takes to be born again. This is the greatest thing you can do for your child. Regardless of how well, or how bad, your child behaves while growing up (especially during his/her teenage years), when that child grows up, s/he will never forget what s/he was taught.

I once watched a program on TBN where a popular TV personality was talking about his life experiences and how God helped him to become who he is today. He didn't try to sound like a spiritual person. In fact, he kept talking about how he had messed up so many times in his life. One thing that struck me about his interview was how he kept bringing up things that his mother taught him as a child. He never forgot and he was always applying them in his everyday life. I actually felt ashamed because I who always felt like a 'spiritual sister' and knew all the popular scriptures hardly ever practiced what I knew. He, on the other hand, didn't even know how to quote any of the scriptures his mama taught him, but he remembered what they said and he applied them. My point is that this man never forgot.

     
Fathers and mothers each have special roles to play in bringing up their children and none should ever take it lightly. Men must teach their sons how to grow into the man that God wants them to be and show their daughters how to identify a good man by being a good example. In the same way, a woman should be able to teach her daughter how to grow into the woman God wants her to be and show her son by example how to identify a good woman.
 

To be a good Christian parent you must first be a Christian. Nobody is perfect and there is no perfect formula, but God will give anyone the enablement to do this honourable job. Well, if you only ask it of Him.

HOW TO MEND A BROKEN HEART By Yorbin Wayo

It is devastating to put everything into a relationship just to have your hopes dashed. If you are like the rest of us, mere mortals, your self-confidence may have received more than a little bashing after that experience.   


We often wonder if we weren’t good enough; we wonder what is wrong with us. And the most painful of them all is when ‘two-timing’ is involved. It’s insulting to think the other party has been making a fool of us and betraying our trust. It gets us thinking: what has the other guy/girl have that we don’t that is so appealing, enough to make our ex two-time?  Even the most self-confident of us would find it difficult to handle that kind of emotional rejection whether it is a gentle let-down or an acrimonious breakup.  

I’ve seen broken relationships turning people into biter cynics with respect to the opposite sex. I’ve seen quite a few enter even worse relationships due to a breakup-induced twisted view of their self-worth.

My primary concern in this piece is what you should do when you are at your lowest point at a time like this and how to move on.

The first thing I’d like you to remember is that while what happens to you is important, it’s how you react to it that really counts.  Bad things could happen to even good people, just like it did to Job, but it’s what you do about it that determines if it makes or breaks you. What happened to you may be terribly unfair, but the truth is you can always come out on top. If you are going through these tough times here are a few things to keep in mind.

   

It’s okay to be angry, cry and feel sorry for yourself and talk about it with a trusted friend. You just may burst if you don’t.  Feel sorry for yourself or be remorseful if you’re the guilty party. You may even wallow in a little self-pity. Cry if you may. Unfortunately, this state of mind must be very short-lived. You are not allowed to continue moping around feeling sorry for yourself while life passes you by. Determine to do something you’ve been meaning to do for a while and have not gotten to do it. Read books or watch movies that’ll inspire or motivate you. Visit friends, if you can afford it, travel to a place you’ve always wanted to go. It will help clear your mind. Get something positive to occupy your mind. The key is not to be so consumed with the breakup that nothing else seems to matter.

     

Pray: I’m not talking about rambling some nice religious sounding stuff to God, but really telling Him how you feel. Be as honest as the all-time famous Psalmist in the Bible was. In fact, there were times when the Psalmist thought God had abandoned him and he told Him so. The thing is: God already knows what you’re thinking, so you can as well be honest.

   

One of the classic betrayals in any love story I've ever heard or read about is one in which a lover died because of the infidelity of his beloved. God is that lover and you are his beloved. He tried to make us understand how he felt by making Hosea to marry an unfaithful wife and still remain true to his vows. So trust me, he is acquainted to broken hearts. The words of a song the ECWA women fellowship choir sings captures it beautifully: “He understands how His children feel.” God will listen to you.

   

Remember that two cannot walk together unless they agree. If the other person makes it clear that he/ she is no longer interested in the relationship, please accept it and move on. I agree that it can be difficult to do just that. But it is possible. No matter how ideally suited you think you are with the person in question. A one-sided relationship will do you no good. There is a great temptation to feel that we cannot do without the other person. This is especially true of ladies more so when they’ve made the mistake of giving their body to the man. As hard as it may seem, you can get over anyone.  Someone may be saying in his mind, “but he/she completes me!” Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, only God can make a person complete. The people God has placed in our lives (including our future husbands and wives) have a place they fill in our hearts, but nothing and no one, but God, makes a human being complete.

     

Time is your friend: You may be at your lowest point in life but you will be surprised to see how in time, a deep wound becomes only a scar. At the moment, you may think you will never get over this one but in time, the pain will lull and you will be fine. Personally, I think one of the most humbling things about life is that no one is indispensable. The broken relationship is most likely a blessing in disguise.  In a few years you may look back at the event and wonder what in the world you were thinking. It’s easy to become cynical about the opposite sex after a bad experience but it is important to remain optimistic about future relationships. You can still have a great one despite what you have just been through.
     

Make an honest evaluation: When people break up, there is a great tendency for the blame game to begin. It may be true that the other person did something wrong but then you can’t claim to be a saint. At one point or the other, you would have done something wrong. Learn from your mistakes, note the things you should and should not do in the future. Even if the other person was the guilty one, every experience teaches you a valuable lesson. Learn the lesson and move on.
     

Finding an immediate replacement is not a solution. You miss the companionship of the person we have just broken up with and some sort of void exists in your life now. One of the mistakes we make is jumping, almost immediately, into another relationship. Chances are you might have people who are interested in having a relationship with you even before you broke up but please, please, give yourself some time before going into another one. You may wind up making the same mistakes you made in the previous one and sometimes even worse ones if you don’t give yourself some time.  Most times singles think they should never be alone. They seem to think their sense of self-worth is tied to another human being. This is wrong. You are great and special, not because I or some man or woman says so, but because you are God’s idea.

   

The most comforting thing of all is for us to remember that God is in control. He knows about your broken heart and is still working all things together for your good. He knows how to get your heart mended; all you have to do is give him the broken pieces.

The Text of The Homily Delivered By Bishop Matthew Hassan Kuka At The Burial Mass Of Late Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa

We are honoured to present the Homily delivered by Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah at the Burial Mass of the late Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, former Governor of Kaduna State at Fadan Kagoma, Kaduna on 20 December 2012. This presentation is courtesy of Rueben Buhari, Yakowa’s Special Advisor on Media.

At times like this, we all wish things were different, that we knew more, that we could be a bit more certain, even if tentatively and haltingly. We wish that God would grant us some rare privilege of taking us into confidence, that He would open our ears and whisper some privileged information so that those of us who ought to know, those of us whom the world believes are close to God, might use it as a source of encouragement to our brethren. St Paul echoes the words of Isaiah when he says: “Who has known the mind of the Lord and who has been His counsellor?” (Is 40:13, 1 Cor.2:16). We must finally surrender to the fact that; God’s ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts (Is 4055:8) or, as Job says, “Can anyone teach knowledge to God?” (Job 21:22). When David’s son by Uriah’s wife died, David decided to dress up and end his fast to the shock of his household.

They drew his attention to this irony and David replied: “When the child was alive, I fasted and wept, thinking, who knows, perhaps Yahweh will take pity on me and the child will live. But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he cannot come to me” (2 Samuel 12: 21-23). Whatever our wishes, whatever we know or do not know, our beloved Sir Patrick Yakowa will not come back to us. We can only look forward to when we shall go to him. As with Americans and the death of their beloved President, John Kennedy, for years to come, most Nigerians will still remember what they were doing and where they were when they heard of the news of the tragic death of Sir Patrick Yakowa, the erstwhile Governor of Kaduna State. The outpouring of emotions across the entire country is a testimony of what he meant to all of us. The questions will persist, Where was God? Why now? Then we will continue to contemplate what might have been and continue to wonder, what if he had not gone to Bayelsa, what if he had waited for his own helicopter, what if they had concluded their chat with General Azazi and so on? Indeed, what if my good friend Oronto Douglas had not lost his father? But these questions are of no use.

Whatever our position, no matter our sadness, indifference or even hidden joy, our God draws straight with crooked lines. We humans can do absolutely nothing to change the plans of God. All that God does, no matter how bitter, is for our own good. Through the mouth of the Prophet Jeremiah, the Lord says to us: I know the plans I have for you, they are plans of welfare not evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jer. 29:11). He also assures us that: No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13). This is not the time for us to feel despondent. St. Paul has warned us: The time has come for you to stop sleeping and wake up because our salvation is nearer now than when we first began to believe. The night is nearly over, daylight is on the way, so let us throw off everything that belongs to darkness and equip ourselves for the light (Rom 13:11-12).
 

Mr. Yakowa’s ascent to the exalted position of Governor of Kaduna State was the climax of a most fascinating and exceptional career. He stood out as God’s favourite son among the entire people of Southern Kaduna State. It is actually tempting to assert that very few if any in Kaduna State can beat his track record of public service nor can anyone in the whole of this State claim to have had a life so full of Firsts. He was the first person from Southern Kaduna to become a Federal Minister, a Federal Permanent Secretary and the first to be Secretary to the Government of Kaduna State. He holds the special record of perhaps being the only Nigerian to have served two Governors as Deputy and to further ascend to the position of Governor all with no break.

I was at his historic swearing in ceremony as the Governor of Kaduna State. The event was historic because it temporarily closed the door to what has been one of the worst shows of selfishness by an unproductive and selfish cabal who have deployed religion to hide their greed. From the creation of Kaduna State in 1987, the Northern ruling class, by policy seemed to have erected an invisible sign that read: No Christians Need Apply to enter what would later be called Kashim Ibrahim House or represent the State at the highest levels. Despite the fact that all states were opened to Christian military officers, it was only Kaduna and perhaps Sokoto states that were never governed by non-Muslims.
  

This policy of exclusion against non-Muslims turned Kaduna State into a political mecca and laid the foundation for the unnecessary and sad religious tensions that have continued to dog the state. This is why, a routine change like a Deputy Governor taking over from a Governor would generate such ripples across the country. It also has created the climate for the anxiety, fear and suspicion that destroyed the foundations of Christian-Muslims relations.

Mr. Yakowa’s ascent to power bore a little resemblance to Mr. Nelson Mandela’s ascent to the Presidency of South Africa in 1994. President Jonathan did for us what the great President de Klerk did to end apartheid in South Africa. As with Mandela, Mr. Yakowa went ahead to endear himself to a wide range of people across society, thus, earning him the sobriquet, Yakowa, Na Kowa coined by his Muslims supporters. His death has robbed our country of one of the finest human beings who brought respectability and nobility to politics, a man who has demonstrated how faith could influence politics, a man who has demonstrated that politics can be played by its rules and that indeed, politics can serve as a means of building bridges. He built bridges across the country, he made Muslims respect and appreciate the Christian faith, he showed a human side of life that very few in public life have demonstrated.

 

Where he died and even why he died was a true reflection of who he was. Some people have asked me, why did the Governor not send a representative to the burial of the father of Oronto Douglas, a young man who was of no immediate political benefit to him? Those of us who know him would testify that this is exactly what the man represented. He was selfless and took friendship rather seriously, perhaps, even too seriously. He never counted the cost of the sacrifice he made for his friends. In befriending Oronto, he saw a chance to place a building block somewhere around the creeks believing that one day in future, others might walk on that bridge. He was a man whose life was marked by simplicity, honesty, rectitude, character, integrity, probity, dedication to duty, solidarity and almost absolute faith and dedication to friendship.

He took my appointment as Bishop of Sokoto beyond the boundaries of ordinary friendship. Before I went to the Vatican in July 2011 for the audience with the Holy Father ahead of my Episcopal installation, Governor Yakowa told me that he and his wife would love to accompany me. I immediately added their names to my guest list for the audience with the Holy Father. As the days drew near, it began to look like he might not make it. I told him not to worry and that we could wait for the installation ceremony in Sokoto. I left for Rome with the understanding that he had inevitably cancelled the trip and I perfectly understood.
 

My audience had been slated for about midday at the Holy Father’s holiday residence at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome. On the eve of the audience, I received a call from the Governor saying he had arrived Rome and that he wanted to know where to meet me. He showed up with a driver from the Nigerian Embassy in Rome the next morning. My friend, Fr Patrick Alumuku and I travelled to the audience in real style, arrived to a most dignified reception in our diplomatic car especially given that my friend and brother, Msgr. now Archbishop Fortunatus, the Holy Father’s Chief of Protocol had given us some extra mileage in the preparations!

      To the family of Mr. Yakowa, the Lord’s words through the prophet Isaiah are still true. He said: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion for the child that she has borne? Yet, even if she forgets, I will not forget you. I have engraved you on the palm of my hands and your walls are ever before me” (Is 49:14-16). The call of the Lord holds true when he says: “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest. My yoke is easy and my burden light” (Mt 11: 25ff). Jesus has assured us that He will not lose even one of those the Father has entrusted to His care (Jn 6: 39).


To the people of Southern Kaduna, despite the clouds of fear, anxiety and uncertainty, we must not give in to self-doubt and prejudice. We have lost a dear son, but we have not lost our future. Indeed, the future that lies ahead is far brighter now than at any time. Our confidence as a people has grown. Mr. Yakowa, came, he saw, he conquered. He has left us a legacy that we should all be proud of. A man uncommon dedication to hard work, diligence to duty, sincere, honest to a fault, all trusting in the will of God, a family man, an altruistic citizen, he has shown that the doors are open to all if we imbibe his qualities.

Sadly, today, years and years of corruption and abuse of office have turned the otherwise noble profession and vocation of politics into a dark temple where money and power occupy the pantheons and enlist worshippers. The result is that rather than seeking men and women of honour for public office, our country has lost a sense of a common vision for creating the Good society. Nigerians have now developed a navel gazing and incestuous view of power that feeds on primordial sentiments. We no longer trust the Other, only those who worship with us, speak like us, can be trusted to represent us.     Today, Nigerians believe that the only good public office holder is not the one who is most qualified, the most honest, the one with the greatest capacity to do good, but rather, the one who is a member of our circle of greed.

Those who have projected Islam as the basis for power have created the condition that now threatens the foundation of our society today.
     

Those who used religion have left the North and its people poorer than any other part of the country.   Mr. Yakowa in just about one year has managed to build up a people who have come to believe in themselves as brothers and sisters. He was relentless in his quest for peace. The result is that he has blunted the cutting edge of religion in our public life. Let me cite just a few examples.


When I called Sultan on Sunday night (16 December), he had already arrived Kaduna for a meeting that we had scheduled to hold with him, Cardinal Onaiyekan and other religious leaders. I was the co-coordinator of the meeting. His voice was deep and solemn. I was the one trying to lift up his spirits as he spoke with heavy emotions about Mr. Yakowa’s demise. When he said he was returning to Sokoto the next day, I asked if I could fly with him in his private jet. Well, he said to me, if you can get your friend’s private jet, I will follow you. You know, he said to me, I have been so shaken, this is the first time I am finding something to make me laugh. His voice said it all. This is the leader of the Muslim community.

When I spoke with General Buhari the same evening, he was similarly distraught and told me he had cancelled his 70th birthday celebration in honour of Mr. Yakowa. It is a sad day for all of us, and we must honour a great man, the General said. I felt relieved because I had accepted to be the Guest speaker at this event. This is the same man that his political enemies call a fanatic and a zealot. But there is even more.

     The Daily Trust newspaper reported on the day after his death that Sheikh Yusuf Sambo, the National Leader of the Izala movement, had announced an immediate cancellation of a meeting which thousands of his members had assembled to attend in Kaduna as a mark of honour to Governor Yakowa. Yet, only last week, a rather irresponsible journalist had reported that the Izala members had held a meeting and laid out plans to kill Christians in Nigeria! On Tuesday, as we drove behind the Ambulances from the airport to St. Gerard’s hospital, I personally saw young Muslims genuinely wailing and waving in sorrow on the high way in Tudun Wada. I have received so many text messages from Muslims, high and low.  Many ordinary Muslims genuinely full of emotions have hugged me and spoken about the death as our common loss.

      These are genuine human beings and they reflect the best of our common humanity. They should be our focus not the riff raffs and scoundrels that are reported to be allegedly rejoicing over the death of Mr. Yakowa. They do not represent Muslims or Islam. They do not represent our common humanity. These scoundrels should be seen as part of the toxic waste of humanity who would still rejoice and dance on the streets at the nakedness of their parents. They should not distract us as we hold hands and stand together in our loss.

      Let us not be afraid to ask God why He did this to us. A friend of mine who was on the plane to Kaduna after my installation in Sokoto last year told me of the near mishap they had on their flight back to Kaduna as the plane entered turbulent weather.

      She told me that while everyone was wailing, she simply asked God: So what do you want to do? If we all die, who will take the glory? What will you gain by this? You want the devil to celebrate and take the glory from you? I was impressed by this attitude because sometimes, God does deserve some tough questioning. And you know, what? He actually rewards this audacity sometimes. Let me offer three examples.


When God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham confronted Him head on. The dialogue is in Genesis Ch. 18: 22-33. It is an irritating confrontation, but it is amazing how Abraham remained persistent. Abraham seemed to challenge God’s sense of fair judgment and justice: “Are you really prepared to destroy the innocent and the guilty? That is impossible.

The Judge of all the earth has to act justly he said to God (Gen 18: 24, 25). It is as if Abraham is trying to do some PR for God by making him understand that this act will affect God’s reputation as a just, honest and fair judge. A second example is the story of the one who has come to represent the virtue of honesty, Job. The problem that God faced in the story of Job relates to how His perceived sense of justice and fairness are again called to question. Job’s honesty and fear of God are well known. He loses everything he ever owned, children and property, and he is afflicted so badly by a skin wasting disease. His friends who were convinced of their wisdom and came to condole with him sit for seven days and nights and utter not a word because they had never seen anything of the sort(Job 2: 13). Job says: “God knows everything I do. He sees every step I take. I swear I have never acted wickedly and never tried to deceive others. Let God weigh me on honest scales and see how innocent I am” (Job 31:4-6). PoorJob. He continues his verbal shadow boxing, struggling to showcase his righteousness. God is patient with him and actually waits for him to exhaust himself before God breaks His silence. He says to Job: “Who is this, obscuring my intentions with his ignorant words? Brace yourself like a fighter. I am going to ask the questions and you are to inform me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations? Tell me since you are well informed” (Job 38: 1-4). A penitential Job shocked by the foolishness of his so called wisdom says: “Before, I knew you only by hearsay, but now, having seen you with my own eyes, I retract what I have said and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:4-6)

Those of us who know more than God and are weaving the conspiracy theories, claiming that Mr. Yakowa was a victim of dark forces, can they answer just three questions? Did God consult them before he brought Mr. Yakowa the rare life he had? Was it Christians, the people of Southern Kaduna, or his kinsmen and women from Fadan Kagoma that guided his life? He owes his entire meteoric rise in the civil service and his political life to good men who had the discernment and whom God used when it mattered. Interestingly, good, God fearing and honest men who found themselves in power from Brigadier General Ja’afaru Isa, Governor Makarfi, Architect Namadi Sambo are not Christians. Neither are General Abdusalam Abubakar or Alhaji Gidado Idris who appointed him Federal Minister and Federal Permanent Secretary respectively. They were men of honour.


Finally, our brother, our friend and our beloved Governor is gone. We do not need to mourn because he has left us so much. We thank President Goodluck Jonathan and those who advised him to create the opportunity that enabled Mr. Yakowa to keep this appointment with destiny.


Sir, as you can see, he has not disappointed us all.


Our project for building a non-discriminatory society is on course and it is irreversible.I want to appeal to all of us to rise to the challenge of building one united country, a country of love, a country where indeed, we are all God’s children. We must rise up to build a country where we see ourselves as human beings, citizens with inalienable rights and not allow ourselves to be held hostages by religious bigots.    What is today Boko Haram is the toxic waste that years of dubious religious manipulation has produced.


Mr. Yakowa has opened a door and it will never shut again. Because Mr. Yakowa passed here, Kaduna politics will now be defined as Before Yakowa or After Yakowa. Indeed, for you the entire people of Southern Kaduna especially the Youth, rise up, fear is dead and it will never rise again. Before Yakowa, you were afraid, you were poor and felt defeated. Now, After Yakowa, the world is yours to conquer.    Rise up, get ready to light your candles because we have seen the light of a star in Kaduna.


Go forward and meet up with other young men and women like yourselves. Free yourselves from religious prisons, dream big and beautiful dreams. A wonderful, peaceful, just and non-discriminatory, unselfish world lies ahead of you. Conquer fear, take the torch and march forward, whether you are Christopher of Mustapha, march on, whether you are Mary or Maryamu, march ahead. This is why Mr. Yakowa has died for you.


To you, Mrs. Yakowa and the children, the good people of Fadan Kagoma, hold your heads high. You gave the world a most precious gift. Nigeria and its politics will not be the same again because our beloved son passed here. Our redeemer liveth. Yes, we know.


To our new Governor, Archbishop Ndagoso and I listened to all your beautiful testimony. The world looks up to you never to be seduced by the whispers of the wicked whose devilish and selfish hold on power has held our society down. Do not be tempted to think that the Muslims have taken what the wicked have presented as a prize for only Muslims. You have taken over the steering wheel and must obey and respect all road signs so that we can arrive at the destination that we have set out to.   Balancing our dreams together can make ours one of the greatest states in Nigeria. Let us reverse the divisive, ugly and pernicious past which was constructed by men who had the hearts for apartheid. By pursuing the politics of exclusion, these men and women merely destroyed both the noble faith of Islam and the North that its founders dreamt of.


I want to assure you that there are millions of Yakowa’s outside the Muslim community and that the monopoly of power by one section or even one gender or generation denies our people a future.


This is what South Africa realised. It is what the Americans have now realised. Other nations have achieved greatness by managing diversity. Diversity should generate appreciation and love and when properly managed, it can be a source of beauty and strength. This is why Joseph’s coat of many colours is presented as the best garment in the Bible. We wish you well and as you saw from the way our people have received this tragedy, we are a peaceful, God fearing and trusting community. I can assure you, we shall stand by you. And to you President Jonathan, when it mattered, you allowed God to use you to change history. Those whose selfishness sowed the seeds of exclusion leading to violence have abandoned the state and fled to Abuja where they continue to pursue an unproductive lifestyle of feeding off the state by pretending to represent Islam and the North.


Sir, this state is ours to build now that the members of the nefarious Mafia whose selfishness hindered the development of Kaduna in particular and the North in general have either died or fled the state. Mr. Yakowa’s ascent to power broke this jinx. You cannot attempt to put this genie back without breaking the bottle. Before Yakowa, Kaduna State had been surviving on one lung. Now that political surgery has corrected this anomaly, it is hoped that now, we shall lay a foundation for a successful transition and succession to power in the most honest way. If we fail to do that, we shall be attempting to clap with one hand or flying a plane with only one wing. With youth on your side, we all assure you of our prayers. Despite its troubles and doubts, Nigeria is on the threshold of hope and opportunity.

We shall arrive our destination quicker because we have the likes of our dear Governor Yakowa praying for us. May God bless our dear country. Amen.

The Futility of Finding True Love: A Poem

 

Fools go to any length to fondle a maiden’s bosom,

To kiss her supple lips and savour her full blossom.

The wise crave for a pure heart and a kindred spirit,

A gentle soul and a grace inspired by the Holy Spirit.

It is something so rare; it almost does not exist,

But its truth and purity, we just cannot resist.
 

We always agonize over something elusive,

The futility of which is very delusive.

To heaven, we shout, ‘isn’t true love meant to be free?’

‘Yes,’ the answer, ‘but not as cheap as leaves on a tree!’
 

Why do we hunger for love, when like fools we’re free,

Free to sin, so sweet to copulate on an old tree?

To mate and yet mate again; to fill our loins with fire;

The like of which we love, the joy of which we don’t tire.
 

Is it wisdom to tread the rough narrow road to truth?

Does chastity, purity and trust bear that much fruit?

From where I stand, it’s a heavy load for me to bare,

Grouping in the dark for answers with no time to spare.
 

The futility of this is more enterprising,

More fulfilling, more rewarding—and not surprising—

Than the sexual conquest of a ravishing beauty queen;

Sensual and voluptuous and altogether too keen.

 

 

The futility of finding true love: see the fool

Blindly pursue pleasure, even into a cesspool;

Love eludes her as it does the wise and that’s painful;

For when age corrupts her flesh, there is nothing gainful;
 

No lover to look up to, no friend to hold her dear;

Heartbreak’s the price for not having the courage to dare

To risk certain doom for the chance of finding real love

Or as consolation, a true friend, a pure white dove.
 

The futility of finding true love: dare you seek?

What you find is the travesty of truth at the peak,

Where the best among us so shamelessly confess

The possession of a spirit their souls do not profess.
 

The futility of finding true love: you can’t give

What you do not have: stop the futile search, quietly leave,

Abandon the quest for something that cannot be found;

Except in sad love songs where it is a mournful sound
 

And in the dictionary before the word ‘stupid’.

‘Love’ is Eve’s creation, hers and the delinquent Cupid’s.

Their kind of ‘love’ is inspired by hormonal surges;

That experience that inspired the Sodomites’ orgies.

 

 

The futility of finding true love: now I know

That certainly, you cannot reap where you do not sow.

Finally, the futile quest have ended in Judea

At a place called Golgotha, with not a single Jew there.
 

Like all who seek the truth, we end up at Calvary;

Will our prayers be answered? Are we free from slavery?

True love flows from His bleeding hands and the crown of thorns.

Are we worthy of His love, He whose body is torn?
 

Maisamari David February 2003