DAVID AND THE ABUSE OF POWER

DAVID AND THE ABUSE OF POWER

Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

 

When a person is given a position of authority, his attitude to wealth, wine and women reveals the real person. The greatest warrior in the world is a person who wield victory over his or her temperaments. A follow up to this is the extent a person can control his appetites for food, drink and sex. Abuse of power and authority can be perceived in the desire for illegitimate private gain in carrying out official duties. This takes the form of bullying, harassing behaviour, using staff for personal favour, pressuring staff to distort facts and encouraging corruption. Abuse of power can occur when those in authority assume absolute freedom to create a high self-esteem with the money that is budgeted for the common good. To think that you are not accountable to anybody or those you serve except your Superior is dangerous. This is a serious disservice to the people (cf. https://www.google.com, May, 11, 2018).

 

David was a man of integrity who earned fame by killing Goliath (1 Samuel 17). He was a warrior who had conquered the lion and the bear such that “David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:34-37). David saved the life of Saul who wanted to kill him out of jealousy. He respected the Lord’s anointed (1 Samuel 24: 1-22). He knew the value of friendship and so wept for Jonathan his friend and King Saul (2 Samuel 1). He did not celebrate the death of his son Absalom. He mourned him even though he committed treason by trying to overthrow him and kill him (2 Samuel 18). 

 

Given these qualities, David became the King of Israel and Judah by popular demand, choose and acclamation. David was a warrior over everything except his own selfish temperamentsand passion. He could not win victory over his lust. He was ready to do evil to satisfy his lust. The people of Israel demanded a king who would lead them to war. David ignored his role of Commander in Chief who was anointed to lead the people to war (1 Samuel 8: 4-6). “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 11: 1). “One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,  and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant” (2 Samuel 11: 2-4)

 

David responded like a dictator. He “sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him.  But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house (2 Samuel 11: 6-9).David did not bother about the ethics of war whereas Uriah who was a Hittite kept the rule of not sleeping with his wife during war. “Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing” (2 Samuel 11).

 

David proceeded to commit murder by killing Uriah the Hittite”(2 Samuel 11:14-17). In the platform of Mission and Dialogue, different scholars commented on this incident of David in African context. Sr. Prof. Teresa Okure SHCJ says that,“Dictators and tyrants succeed because people sheepishly obey them against their own God-given conscience. David asked someone to call him the wife of Uriah, a "pagan"; the person did. He sent message to Joab to send Uriah to him; Joab did. He did his very best to get Uriah to go home and have intercourse with his wife so as to cover up his sin. Uriah refused because military law forbade sexual intercourse during combat time. Had Uriah lost or betrayed his personal integrity, there would have been no story such as we have today. David sent Uriah back to Joab with gruesome instructions to kill him and many others in the process. Joab did. Uriah died. But lives on in the story. Without his integrity, David would have used his kingly power and authority to commit crime and get away with it. We need to be aware of the different ways in which we participate in collaborative criminality.”

 

Here the Nigerian rulers need self-examination. God forbids that the cunny way David enabled the death of Uriah is not what is happening to the Nigerian Soldiers who are being killed by the terrorists! Fr. Dr. Clement Anaedevha from the Mission and Dialogue platform “strongly suggest that the sincerity of the government and the governors of the states where the highest percentage of perpetuation are recorded must be questioned and brought to book before constructive dialogue can continue. At the moment, what we are doing lacks true foundation that can endure the test of time. Yet, whatever must be done should be urgent.” On the killing of many innocent people just because David want to kill one person, Uriah to cover his iniquities, Fr. Charles Esirah Bassey from the same platform expressed the pain he is feeling for the innocent people that are being killed and displaced in Nigeria. He calls on the Religious leaders to be the voice of the voiceless because “we do not want the disaster of another civil war.”  When incessant killings and deaths occur when there is no war, it becomes abnormal and evil. 

 

This is why the political leadership should ensure that people are put in positions based on pure merit and be courageous to remove those who are not performing up to expectation. Would the call by the Nigerian House of Representatives for the removal of Military Service Chiefs change the insecurity climate in Nigeria (https./www.cfr.blog-nigeria)? I think the Honorable House could go beyond this given that the average Nigerian needs mental re-engineering, clear vision, change of negative attitude, redefinition of values, and aggressive recognition of professionalism of Nigerians in executing individual and national missions. The killers in Nigeria need to be arrested and reformed instead of a distinguished member of the house to take the floor of the house and talk nothing but a display of his four wives is an abuse of power and disservice to a nation where uncountable wives and children are kidnapped and killed on a daily basis. We need to reexamine our psyche, attitude, orientation and horizon. So help us Oh Almighty God. 

Rev. Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua is the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC -nirec.ng@gmail.com) & The Secretary General of the West Africa Inter-Religious Council (WA-IRC – wairc.rfp@gmail.com). 

 

BEYOND PAIN, FEAR AND FURY

BEYOND PAIN, FEAR AND FURY

Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

 

With all the killings and kidnappings in the land, there is anger and pain in the hearts of all lawful citizens. One of the strategies of the terrorists is to cause disaffection and mutual suspicion among Christians and Muslims. The terrorist would want to ignite a religious war. I pray that we do not fall into this trap. Recently, the argument has been the highest number between Christians and Muslims that have been killed and displaced by Boko Haram. This unfortunate comparison is a result of the pronouncements of the terrorists. What can we do? There could be some progress in the effort of protecting life and property if Muslims and Christians jointly take the protest against terrorism as a common concern rather than criticizing the actions of each other in this difficult times. Let Muslims and Christians collaborate with government to secure the life of the citizens. I believe that the government has enough capacity to bring anycriminal to justice.

 

No one can sleep in a room with full awareness that a poisonous snake is hiding in the same room. This is why the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has directed all Christians to observe three days of fasting and prayers for God to save Nigerians especially Christians from the dreaded Boko Haram from January 31 to February 2, 2020. What if all religious adherents should pray against terrorism, kidnapping and all forms of criminal activities now? Dr. Élodie Apard did a study on “The Words of Boko Haram”. She specializes in the study of political processes in Niger and Nigeria and the analysis of cross-border movements, particularly religious flows, between these two countries. She identified Boko Haram as a terrorist group that is fighting “international jihad” from the speeches of Mohammed Yusuf and Abubakar Shekau.  Listening to the speeches which are translated from Hausa and Kanuri, it could be perceived that the words from Boko Haram were powerful enough to threaten the stability of Nigeria’s Federal Government, and that of neighboring countries. “Yusuf started out in the Izala Society movement in the early 2000; he received a theological education inspired by Wahhabism and Salafism. Gradually, Yusuf adopted a very rigid position against government, Democracy, and Western education. Following a voluntary exile in Saudi Arabia, Yusuf returned to Nigeria in 2005 and became a preacher (https://www.cairn-int.info/article-E_AFCO_255_0043--the-words-of-boko-haram.htm).

 

In his preaching, Yusuf denounced corruption, inequalities, excessive violence by the police, the army and against those who acted with impunity. He condemned injustice and this made his recorded sermons from 2006 to circulate very widely in neighboring countries like Niger where he became famous for his aversion to the Western education. Until 2009, the movement was called Yusufiyya, or “Yusuf’s ideology.” He uses verses from the Qur’an and Hadith to urge followers to arm themselves, kill, and take up jihad. He was consistent in condemning oppressive secular government; exploitation of Muslims, promotion of jihad and glorification of martyrdom.After the killing of Yusuf in July 2009, the group was dormant for nearly one year until June 2010, when Abubakar Shekau, appeared in a video message announcing that he would lead the movement. He gave it the official name Jamā’at Ahl al-Sunnah Lidda’awat wa-l-Jihād (Sunni Group for the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad). Abubakar Shekau transformed the group from a religious sect to an armed group. 

 

How do we interpret these messages from Shekau: “We are also against those who pretend to be us and whom they lump together with us so that they can fight us? We will not touch the others.” “We are also against Christians because everyone knows what they’ve done to us and the fate they reserve for Muslims: not once, not twice, but many times, hence our position.” “Everyone knows how they killed our leaders, and everyone knows how they treat us. Everyone knows what they have been doing to Muslim people in this country for some time. For example, in the town of Kaduna, in Zangon Kataf, in the villages, they did many things to the Muslim community of this country, and these things happened without a fight.” “Deceit is unholy, and as Allah says, division is a sin. Everyone knows that democracy is also unholy, that the constitution is unholy, and that many things Allah forbids in the Koran and the hadith are taught in Western schools (https://www.cairn-int.info/article-E_AFCO_255_0043--the-words-of-boko-haram.htm).

 

I believe that the statements from Boko Haram is enough to provoke fear of religious annihilation. In the various kidnappings by Boko Haram, the reason for not releasing the captives has been refusal to convert. Those killed have been alleged to be killed because they refuse to convert. We may not see the fear of the Christians being provoked by any possible plan of the government to wipe out a particular religion. If ever the government contributes to this phobia, it is because the common person relies on the security apparatus of government that ought to be sufficient to secure and protect the citizens. The Muslims too are afraid because many Muslims have been killed and the name of Islam is being abused by the terrorists. The Orthodox Muslims have said loud and clear that Boko Haram is not Islamic. Unfortunately, the terrorists claim to be more faithful Muslims than those who do not carry arms. Real Muslims find it difficult to explain why a person should proclaim Allahu Akbar (God is great) and then go ahead to behead a fellow human being. 

 

Only God knows why Boko Haram has lingered for so long. In as much as the gun cannot kill an ideology, many believe that with committed political will, the Nigerian Army can overrun Boko Haram. We are talking about the Army that has restored peace to Liberia and Sierra-Leon. Yes, the Army that the West African Communities look up to. God forbids that any political or military officer should be an accomplice or enabler of the homicide that is ravaging every corner of the nation especially the North East as it is being speculated in the media! God forbids that any Traditional Ruler or Religious Leader is a sponsor or beneficiary of the genocide that has taken the life of millions of human beings who are created by God to freely live on earth for a purpose! God forbids that any member of the Judiciary is giving cover to this evil to thrive! 

 

The rate of kidnapping and killings are giving rise to so many questions among which are: Is it that those who should protect life and property now lack the capacity to do so? Who are the real beneficiaries and conflict profiteers in this criminal operations? Is all hope in the national security architecture lostto a point that each person and region must resort to self-protection and security?   Beyond the anger and pain that is generating these questions, what do we do or what can we do? I insist that Faithful Muslims and Christians should not turn against each other. We must rather come together to appeal to government to do the needful. Nigerians are dying, let us call criminals by their real name. I do not have all the answers to these questions. So I ask you, what can we do to protect life and property beyond pain, fear and fury!

 

Rev. Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua is the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC -nirec.ng@gmail.com) & The Secretary General of the West Africa Inter-Religious Council (WA-IRC – wairc.rfp@gmail.com).

PRESS RELEASE BY CAN PRESIDENT

TEXT OF A SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT, CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN), HIS EMINENCE, DR SAMSON AYOKUNLE AT THE WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON 23 JANUARY, 2020 AT THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN CENTRE, ABUJA. 

Gentlemen of the Press. 

Let me call for a minute silence in honour of all those killed by the Boko Haram terrorists, Fulani herdsmen, bandits and kidnappers in the country. 

“If you have ever lost a loved one, then you know exactly how it feels but if you have not, then you cannot possibly imagine it.” 

― Lemony Snicket

You are all aware of the gruesome murder of the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Rev. Lawan Andimi, by the terrorist group, Boko Haram, because he refused to be converted to Islam. Although, the group initially demanded for the sum of N50m and, when against all odds, the ransom was ready, they asked for €2m. It was in the process that they reached out to our people in Adamawa State to notify them that since the gentleman had refused to be converted to Islam, they had decided to behead him. And that was what they did. In the same state, just last Sunday, a clergyman, Rev Denis Bagauri was murdered by unknown gunmen in his residence at Mayo Belwa of Adamawa State, all because he was a Christian. You are also aware of the beheading of 11 Christians by Islamic State in West Africa on Christmas Day of 2019 in Maiduguri including a bride to be. 

Few days ago, four seminarians of the Good Shepherd Catholic Seminary in Kakau, were kidnapped along Kaduna-Abuja Road and we have not heard anything about them. In Kaduna State, the most recent happenings were those of 35 people killed and abduction of 58 persons when bandits raided 10 communities in the Chikun and Birnin Gwari Local Government areas on January 13, 2020. These criminals are everywhere operating with impunity and they have been stopping commercial and private vehicles asking them to come down and telling them to say what their religion is. Whoever claims to be a Christian is either killed on the spot or abducted and a demand for a ransom issued. Police, Army officers and even judges are not exempted. This is reprehensible, unacceptable and unprecedented since Nigeria came into being. Christians have become endangered species in their own country! 

Nigeria is under a siege orchestrated by the murderous blood-thirsty and criminally- minded Boko Haram terrorists, Fulani terrorist herdsmen, bandits and kidnappers who are all armed to the teeth, dressed in army uniforms, and gradually overwhelming our security agencies. They have been going around invading predominantly Christian villages and towns, killing and maiming our youths and elders, men and women; raping our women and daughters, decapitating children and disembowelling pregnant women, and subjecting people to coldblooded murder.  Although their atrocities did not begin today, it increased  with the advent of  of democracy, which gave birth to the Sharia Law in some Northern states, an outright violation of the 1999 Constitution. However, the attacks being witnessed under the current administration are unprecedented. Today, the killers are unleashing terror on selected Christian communities, while sometimes our security agencies appear to be looking elsewhere. It is usually after the evil has been done that our soldiers and policemen invade the communities and in many instances, the victims are locked up, while the criminals are left untouched.

From 1980-2019, the Stephanos  Foundation’ record shows a total of 1,785 attacks in 32 states of the country. This led for the death of not less than 28, 878  innocent people.  In 121 Muslim-riots in 19 states, the death of 9, 451 lives were. Also, Boko Haram militant groups were responsible for 701 attacks that claimed 12,812 lives in 15 states. Again, 963 attacks from Fulani Militant groups in 32 states were responsible for 6,615 deaths.  

 The hoodlums have been in Southern Kaduna for years, where hundreds have been killed including a highly placed traditional ruler. And up till today, no one has been brought to book. Instead, it was those who cried out that were subjected to state harassment. A few suspects arrested were later freed to continue with their atrocities. The Fulani herdsmen were in Aghatu land in Benue State and other predominantly Christian communities; killing and maiming their victims.  Mass burials have become the order of the day and to add salt to the injury, it was the Federal Government that was justifying the killings of the citizens by accusing some governors of making laws against open grazing.  They claimed that the killings were not genocide against Christians but farmers- herders' clash. President Muhammadu Buhari has not ceased telling us that the criminals are coming from Libya, as though Nigeria shares borders with Libya. As if that were not enough, the Miyetti Allah the Fulani herdsmen have claimed responsibility for the killings and justifying their actions. In other instances, they disown the killers, telling us that there are other herdsmen who are not their members but who also register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

The Federal Government has never deemed it fit to call them to order, but instead insisted that the herdsmen are stakeholders in the country! This emboldens them and their members who are always attacking predominantly Christian communities in Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba and few states in the South like Enugu.  As usual, none of these attackers has been brought to justice to end their atrocities with impunity.

These terrorists have not hidden their goal to Islamize Nigeria and that is what they have in common with the Fulani herdsmen. They have turned the North-East geo-political zone, especially, Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, into killing fields. One of the cardinal programmes of this government is to put to an end the menace of insecurity and terrorism, but that has not been done. Although the government often claims to have defeated the terrorists, what we are seeing on daily basis contradicts that claim. Hundreds of our members, including Leah Sharibu and over 120 Chibok girls are still in the custody of these terrorists and the government has not succeeded in releasing them. 

 We are not disputing the fact that some Muslims have been killed. However we boldly state here that their primary targets are Christians. The only exceptions are those who are being killed by the bandits in the North-western states like Zamfara and Katsina. In the words of Carrie Jones, “Losing people you love affects you. It is buried inside of you and becomes this big, deep hole of ache. It doesn't magically go away, even when you stop officially mourning.” 

 It is reprehensible and saddening that each time the government comes out to claim the defeat of the insurgency, more killings of our people are committed. In the light of the current developments and the circumstantial facts surrounding the prevailing upsurge of attacks against the church, it will be difficult for us to believe that the Federal Government under the present  administration is not colluding with the insurgents to exterminate Christians in Nigeria, bearing in mind the very questionable leadership of the security sector that has been skewed towards a religion and region! Is that lop-sidedness not a cover up for the operation of the insurgency? If not, why couldn’t the well-equipped security agents of Nigeria get Rev Andimi out of the captivity of his killers who held him captive for two week.

Please permit me to ask the Federal government the following questions:

• What is the essence of SIM card registration if the authorities cannot use it to track down these killers who rely on phones as a mean of communications to do their criminalities?

• What has become of Intelligence gathering of our security agencies?

• Is this government and the security agencies still claiming that the war against these criminals been won despite all the killings?

• Is the government sincere in fighting these terrorists or merely paying lip service to the war against the insurgency?

• Is there any hope that our security is guaranteed under this government? 

• Can the government tell us what they did since Rev. Andimì cried out to them for help? 

• If the security agencies claim the terrorists are operating outside the country, why is it possible for these hoodlums to invade the country, kill, maim, burn and kidnap without any convincing checks on the part of the security agencies?

• Since the government and its apologists are claiming the killings have no religious undertones, why are the terrorists and herdsmen targeting the predominantly Christian communities and Christian leaders? 

• If the security agencies are not living up to the expectations of the government, why hasn't it overhauled them with a view of injecting new visionaries ones into the security system?

As long as the government continues to live in denial and fail to face the reality, these criminals will not stop their criminalities. We are almost losing hope in government's ability to protect Nigerians especially Christians who have become endangered species under its watch. We once again call on the International community and the developed world like the US, the UK, Germany, Israel and others to please come to our aid of Nigeria, especially, the Nigerian Church so that we might not be eliminated one by one.

OUR DEMANDS: 

• The President  should overhaul the security council with a view of bringing in new heads of all the security agencies and the para-military which no religion or part of the country will dominate. 

• The Federal government should either label the Miyetti Allah Fulani Association a terrorist organisation as being regarded in the terror index.

• The Federal Government should order the arrest of the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Groups in who are sponsoring and perpertuating the crime of Nigeria and prosecute them for all the killings in Southern Kaduna, Benue, Plateau and Taraba states, among others. 

• The Federal Government should publish names of all kingpins of the terrorists who are in detention and those who are being prosecuted.

• The Federal Government should stop releasing the so-called repented terrorists since they are reportedly joining their colleagues in the forest to unleash terror on the land. 

• The Federal Government should reverse the recent controversial Police promotion with a view to balancing religious and ethnic divides in the country. 

• The Federal Government should stop sending delegation to all Islamic international organisations and let our Muslim counterparts be doing so as we are doing in all international Christian religious organisations. 

• The Federal Government should stop discriminating against our female Youth corps who refuse to wear the NYSC trousers for religious reasons since they allow their Muslim counterparts to wear hijab. 

• The victims of the consistent attacks should be assessed and adequately compensated. The victims in various IDPs be provided with adequate security and enough resources for continual survival. 

• It is painful and a betrayal to note that the government gives more attention to so called repentant terrorists than the victims of their evil with the claim that they are being reinstated and rehabilitated,   even into the Nigerian Army.  This is a major contradiction. 

OUR DECISIONS 

The CAN Leadership has declared Friday, 31st January to 2nd February, 2020 as days for Special Fasting and Prayer for Nigeria in all churches, home and abroad, for the gruesome killing of innocent Nigerians to stop and for our government to develop capacity to overcome the criminals troubling the nation. Sunday 2nd February, 2020 is declared a Special Prayer Walk by Christians in all the States of the Federation in the form of a procession to be led by States CAN Chairmen in their CAN Secretariats and pastors of churches in all churches in Nigeria. Churches should process round their area, pray for God’s permanent intervention and help from all over the world so that all of us might not be consumed one by one. It appears our government is completely overwhelmed. Brutality of Nigerians is happening unabated daily. 

All Bloc Leaders, Zonal and States Chairmen, Leaders of Denominations and all Christians and concerned Nigerians should support and come out en-mass for the program. 

The Church is matching on and the gate of hell shall not prevail against it!