FAREWELL MY SR SERAH

FAREWELL MY SISTER SERAH

Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

 

My dear Sister Serah, when I announced your death to my friends, the question that came with some condolences was, “How are you related?” Some asked because they know that my mother gave birth to only me and Mrs. Margaret Iye Imomoh. Others wanted to know whether we have the same father and mother in the English categories. That my father and your father have the same parents is not what really make us relations. We have been netted together from birth. We journeyed into this world together. You arrived in December while I arrived in January. As we were growing up in the same home of Omonokhua, you always introduced me as your younger brother. You would go further to say, “I senior him with one year; we used to fight as children but I was stronger than him!” My response was always, “can you still fight now?” and she would respond, “For where, I get power again?” We were very fond of each other. Dear Sister, you were so open that you could easily reveal your secrets. You were open minded with a generous heart. 

 

As children, we grew up in love to the extent that some people do not know that we were cousins. Growing up, you were my best friend, so how could I see you in a distant relationship of the “English Cousin concept?” I can still recall this incident in our primary school days. Only you and I were in a flooded Ogioriver. In the process of swimming, I was tired and was drowning, you dived into the water and pushed me to get me on top of the wooden bridge. That day, you were my life saver. Otherwise, that would have been the end of my life. 

 

Whenever we go in search of fruits, you would be the one to climb the mango tree and cashew tree to fetch fruits for us. We called you Osera-mo (Serah the tree climber). When we were in primary school, no girl in our school, St. Peter’s Anglican Primary school could break your record in 100- and 200-meters race. In sports, you were simply the best. Although married to a Muslim, you never forgot your Catholic faith. You desired to remain in union with the Church and today, God has allowed that desire to be sustained even at death. We thank God that you are enjoying a Catholic funeral. 

 

A good journey is a safe and good arrival. We pray that the Angels and Saints will welcome you into heaven where you will rest in peace with God forever. Great athlete and great swimmer, we shall miss you. We shall miss your charming jokes, smiles and counsels. Your aged parents, (Basil and Marian) will miss you! The entire family of Omonokhua will miss you! Your only daughter, Mrs. Jessica Otse Kayode will miss you! Your son inlaw, Mr. Kayode Nissi will miss you! Your sons, Abdul-Jabbarand Oshioke, will miss you! Your grand-children, Eyitayo, Oluwadabira Serah, Oluwamayowa, will miss you! Your husband M.J. Bello will miss you! Your colleagues and friends in NAFDAC will miss you! Sally Baby, match on like a gallant soldier to heaven.  Adieu Serah!

 

Fr. Prof. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

SR STELLA BASSEY ESIRAH

SR. STELLA, 

MY LOGOTHERAPIST

My dear Sr. Stella Enobong Esirah HHCJ, it appears thatthe world is closing down  without your beautiful smiles and encouraging words. You got me interested in logotherapy after reading your books on how to find meaning in life. You were a nurse before studying philosophy, where you researched on Logotherapy that was developed by Viktor Frankl, a neurologist and psychiatrist. Like Viktor Frankl you believed that the primary motivational force of an individual is to find meaning in life.

You ended your life on earth with a smile and admonition to your brothers and sisters: Here are your last words on earth: “I thank you Lord God for creating me. Thank you, Lord, for giving me the responsibility of being dedicated to you and the privilegeof dedicating my life to you. If I have finished the work, you assigned me to do on earth, you can take me if it is your will. Otherwise, dear God reduce this suffering and pain.” You told your brothers and sisters not to despair. You inspired hope in them. You told them, “Cry when you need to but know that I am happy. I am at peace with God.” You told God that you are not afraid of leaving the world but only concerned about those you are leaving behind. You prayed that God should unite and console them. 

As a renowned Psychotherapist akin to Freud's psychoanalysis and Adler's individual psychology, yourapproach to life was therapeutic. You helped those who encountered you to discover their real self and the reason for their existence on earth. You helped those who reached you to value the moment and focus on the future. During your long pain when you lived on artificial oxygen, you showed your ability toendure hardship and suffering like your master Jesus Christ. You demonstrated the freedom of letting us know that you valued life. You were my therapist. I can still recall your words of wisdom at different moments. Here are some of your words on the marble: 

• Do not force anyone to like you. True love is freely given.

• Some people can take advantage of your generosity, so be careful. 

• A healthy relationship flourishes when you are open and sincere. 

• Do not lie, tell the truth no matter how bitter. 

• Never disobey your legitimate authority. 

• Allow people to develop themselves; do not spoil them with gifts.

• Do not give anybody everything he or she asks for.

• Do not change from good to bad no matter the provocation. 

• Continue to love and help those who honestly seek your assistance. 

Dear mystic rose and gentle dove, you were the first and only Woman Religious, I know to  head a department in a Catholic Major Seminary. As Head of Department (HOD) of Philosophy in Saint Joseph Major Seminary, Ikot-Ekpene, you trained, formed and transformed many seminarians. Today, they are happy and successful priests. 

 

Mother Leonie-Martha O’Karaga, Mother General Emeritus of HHCJ, thanks for allowing Sr. Dr. Stella Bassey Esirah, HHCJ, to work with me when I was the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN). Sr. Stella, you made the congregation of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus proud by being one of the pioneer members of the National Think Tank of Inter-religious Dialogue and Catholic – Methodists relations in Nigeria. You did well as a member of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). Thank you, my Angelic Scholar for editing my works, writing foreword and comments on four of my books that are now available on Amazon. You were indeed a gift to me, my family and friends. Thanks a million!

 

I was not keen on Logotherapy until I met you who demonstrated practical logotherapy with the way you relatedwith people. You gave me wings to fly in my dreary moments. In the deep darkness of my life, you were my sunshine. All my friends who encountered you testified that you were a guiding star and guardian Angel. Oh Stellamaris, the star of the sea, March on to heaven like a great Saint.

 

Within July and August, your friends, Dolly Igbinijesu and Serah Omonokhua Bello were buried. What a world! You left us on the solemnity of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15, 2023). You followed Mother Mary to meet Jesus in a home where the Lord has gone to prepare for you. It is difficult to stop weeping even though Jesus has enjoined us: “Do not let your heart be troubled” (John 14:1).

 

Your empathy for me was deep after my spine surgery. You feared that I would die. I could not imagine that you will leave us so soon. My dear Stella, the family of Esirah are missing you! The Handmaid Sisters are missing you! Saint Joseph Majoy Seminary, Ikot-Ekpene is missing you! The world will miss you! What a world where death is rapidly snatching the young away!Sr. Stella, you were an amazon, icon, a scholar, a gentle womanwho lived and taught others how to face tomorrow. Rest in peace now my dear sister. Rest in peace forever! Adieu! 

 

Fr. Prof. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

Executive Secretary

Nigeria Inter-religious Council (NIREC)

 

 

IDEAL POLITICS AND POLITICIANS

IDEAL POLITICS AND POLITICIANS

Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

Executive Secretary, NIREC

Some time ago, I published in many newspapers an article titled, “Politicians are called to be saints.” This article is also published in my book: “From Dream to Reality; Dialogue of Encounter” (Page 299). So many Nigerians have told me that it is a fallacy to think that a politician can be a saint given the Nigeria concept of politics and the attitude of some politicians who are consistently inconsistent. The objection to the potential sainthood of a partisan politician in Nigeria is based on the erroneous definition of politics in Nigeria. You must have heard some expressions made by some Nigerian politicians like: “You cannot be a good politician if you do not know how to lie, rig elections and hate whoever is not in your political party.” Some Nigerian politicians think that to be a friend of a person in a different political party is anti-party. Politics for some politicians is self-interest and the ability to use religion and ethnicity as triggers. Some think that a successful politician is the one who has the illegitimate power to eliminate an opponent who is perceived as an obstacle to their desired goal, which is only to win election to loot public funds.

This misconception calls for a true understanding of politics. From Classical Greek, polis (πόλις) means city. Therefore, whoever has the love of the citizens must work for the common good and welfare of the citizens in the city. Thus, a Politician is a person who has the capacity and wisdom to influence public policy in decision making for the common good. In democratic governance, the politician is called and chosen by the people to lead the affairs of the people in the society. Given that the voice of the people is the voice of God, a politician is called and chosen by God to govern the affairs of the people. If the politician believes in this divine call, then, he or she has a divine obligation to strive for perfection to the glory of God and for the happiness of the people.  Politics is not limited to governance through public office. Every human person has a stake in the affairs of the society through a positive attitude to life and collective welfare. 

Since in today’s political climate, a politician is viewed as a person who is active in partisan politics to hold political positions whether elected or appointed, it is necessary to distinguish between people with realistic ideologies and office holders who are covertly or overtly egoistic and self-centred. In modern day politics, the expression “political prostitutes” has been introduced to apply to those who see politics as the only means of livelihood. These group of people would be impoverished outside partisan politics where greed is their emblem. On the contrary, Thesaurus defines a politician as, “a leader engaged in civil administration and a person who rules or guides or inspires others. In this sense, a politician is a model worthy of emulation.

The tragedy of Nigerian politics is that each politician is seen as either a Christian or a Muslim whether he is committed or not. Often, some ignorant poor people do not ask whether these “religious politicians” add any value to either Christianity or Islam apart from using religion as ladder to ascend their self-interest to a point where the poor are deprived of their legitimate rights and opportunities. The money they give to some pastors and some imams to buy votes is not perceived as sin because the hungry are ready to sell their heads to buy the crown or to eat even if the food comes from the devil. Consequently, hunger, poverty and suffering have become weapons in the hands of unpatriotic politicians. Oh God Almighty, religion and ethnicity have become tools for political manipulation. 

The 2023 elections would have been the model and mother of all elections. We thought the outcome of this election would be the dawn of a new democratic Nigeria. It was interesting to see some Muslims campaigning for a Christian candidate and some Christians campaigning for a Muslim candidate. Unfortunately, the umpire of the elections allowed themselves to be manipulated manipulators to an extent that some electorates were behaving as if the election was between Christians and Muslims or between Igbo, Yoruba and the North. Some religious leaders unfortunately became manipulated manipulators by turning religious houses to campaign rallies. They forget that some politicians do not care if the nation goes in flames, if their actions give rise to inter-religious and inter-ethnic conflict. Religion and ethnicity must not be allowed to pass for triggers of violence and religious acrimony.

The Prophet of Islam calls on all believers to do acts of charity not only to be seen by people but because they believe in Allah and the Last Day (Qur’an 2:262-264). Muslims are reminded that the needy deserve help even when they do not go about begging those with opportunity. According to the Qur’an, Allah knows of whatever wealth you will spend on helping those in need (Qur’an 2:273). In Islam, life on earth must be lived with total submission and surrender to Allah because of the Day of Judgment. For Christians, saints are people who are clothed in white robes because they have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over them (Revelation 7: 12-15). I hope the Nigerian Christian and Muslim politicians believe in these scriptural teachings! 

Is the Nigerian politician willing and ready to be a saint by first conquering his temperaments and inordinate desires? Can he or she really be in control of his temperaments and negative emotions? A politician who succeeds in doing this is described in Islam as a successful jihadist who understands that true jihad means restraint (self-control). In Christianity, he or she is a saint who prefers to die instead of letting a whole nation be annihilated for personal selfish ambition. An Ideal politician is aware of his strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). Here is how Saint Paul expresses this: “I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself, to be self-sufficient.  I know how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how-to live-in abundance" (Philippians 4:11-12). An ideal politician must contest in a free and transparent election to win the goodwill of the people. An ideal politician would congratulate the victory of his or her opponent if the process of the election is credible and indisputable. 

That a Christian or Muslim wins an election is an expression of the will of the people and not victory for Christianity or Islam. Religious triumphalism in a democratic election is a spark, trigger and call for inter-religious violence. If an ideal politician is on a pilgrimage to sainthood, he needs to listen to Peter Kreeft who described a saint in this paradox: “A saint's heart is broken by every little sorrow and sin. A saint's heart is also so strong that not even death can break it.  It is indestructible because it's so breakable. A saint takes his hands off the steering wheel of his life and lets God steer. A saint also has hands that move the world.  He has feet that move through the world with a sure step.”  I pray that the poverty and hunger of the citizens will not tempt Nigerians to embrace religious conflicts for any politician who is not even aware of the existence of the poor who suffer daily to have a full meal. May the poor citizen never forget for a moment that should anything terrible happen to him or her in the course of fighting for a politician, he or she will be left alone in his /her agony. May we have ideal politics and politicians in Nigeria. Amen!