I have waited since Sunday, July 10, 2016, when the news broke,
of the gruesome murder of Mrs Eunice Elisha, an assistant pastor of The
Redeemed Christian Church of God, Abuja, for the comment and reaction of the
President, Maj Gen Muhammadu Buhari, retd, to no avail.
The President's silence
is ominous, worrisome, unfortunate and disappointing. And after listening to
the Commissioner of Police of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Channels
television, coupled with the pictorial report of the visitation of the wife of
the Vice-President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, to the family of the deceased, it
became clearer to me, that the President is deliberately keeping silent, on
this cold blooded murder.
In section 14 of the 1999 Constitution, it is stated that
"the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of
government". All Citizens of Nigeria should therefore feel safe in any
part of the country that they choose to reside in, irrespective of their faith.
Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution states clearly that
"the government of the federation or of a State shall not adopt any
religion as State religion", signifying clearly, that Nigeria, by law and
by the choice of our people, is a secular state.
By section 38(1) of the same Constitution, "every person
shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including
freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in
community with others, and in public or in private), to manifest and propagate
his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance."
It is this section 38(1) that Mrs Eunice Elisha, was relying
upon to manifest, propagate and practice her religion, through evangelism, in
public. She could therefore not have constituted a threat or a nuisance, to any
person or any other religion, especially in Abuja, which is declared and
designated by law, as the federal capital territory of Nigeria.
On the same day that life was snuffed out of Mrs Elisha, it was
also reported that Fulani herdsmen invaded a community in Benue State and
killed over 81 persons. Still, the President has kept mute. The stage-managed
killings by the Fulani herdsmen, who are Muslims, have been targeted at
predominantly Christian settlements.
The worrisome dimension of the President's silence, is more
frightening because majority of the people that the President has openly
complained did not vote for him in the 2015 presidential elections, are mostly
in the South South and in the South East, who are mostly Christians, in their
majority.
The States that have been free of any form of attack by Fulani Muslim
herdsmen, in the South West, are Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun, all of which are
either headed by Muslim governors or controlled by Muslim party leaders.
In Ondo State, where a Christian governor holds sway, chief Olu
Falae, has been attacked twice, by Muslim Fulani herdsmen, right in his own
farm. In Ekiti State, where a Christian governor holds sway, Muslim Fulani
herdsmen, have also attacked farmers, but for the prompt intervention of the
governor.
Interestingly, neither the ruling APC nor the opposition PDP,
has uttered a word, on the heinous and barbaric murder of Mrs Elisha and indeed
the invasion of other Christian communities. They have been busy, as has been customary
with politicians, fighting dirty, for the control of our national treasury,
through political power.
Neither the Islamic nor the Christian religion preaches violence
and bloodshed, but fundamentalists and fanatics of these different religions are
unleashed on our people by our leaders, when it is convenient for them to
achieve a sinister motive. From all indications therefore, it would seem
convenient, for the President to keep sitting upon the blood and death of
innocent Christians, who are considered to form the bulk of the critics of his
government presently and also in the opposition, politically.
In times past, we have learnt to respect the faith and beliefs
of all fellow Nigerians, in demonstration of a single, United and indivisible
Nigeria. But that national unity seem to be in apparent peril, under this
administration.
Presently, it is alleged that Christian Religious Knowledge, has
been removed from the educational curriculum of all the Northern States. It is
alleged that there is a pending Bill in the National Assembly, to codify
Islamic law as part of the criminal jurisprudence of Nigeria, with universal
application in all the states of the federation.
The Grazing Bill pending in
the National Assembly is targeted at the acquisition of the customary land of
the Southern Christian States, for the use and occupation of Muslim Fulani
herdsmen. It is alleged that most critical appointments of the present
administration have been dominated by Muslims. There are indeed other serious
concerns, voiced against the Buhari regime, in relation to religion.
Ordinarily, we should have no concern about the faith or belief
of any leader, if and when aberrations, such as happened to Mrs Elisha in Abuja
occur, the leader is quick to speak and act, in genuine condemnation and
detestation of same. But our President has been silent, and indeed
uncomfortably silent, in all of these attacks.
The President is very well aware of the effect of faith and
religion, on our national life. Thus in 2011 when he sought to rule Nigeria,
General Buhari picked Pastor Tunde Bakare, a vocal Christian, as his running
mate.
And in order to garner more votes in 2015, General Buhari chose Pastor
Yemi Osinbajo, a provincial pastor in The Redeemed Christian Church of God, and
close confidant of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, leader of the biggest pentecostal
church in Nigeria, as his running mate.
It is therefore a great disservice to the loyalty of Osinbajo
and indeed all his supporters, for the President to openly ignore the barbaric
and cold blooded murder of Mrs Elisha, who is also a pastor in the same church
of his Vice-President, which occurred right in the domain of the President, in
Abuja. No statement, no visitation, no condemnation. It is indeed ominous,
especially in an administration that rules through body language.
It is bad enough for the people to be complaining that their
leader is clueless about how to run his government, it is painful enough when a
leader openly reneges upon his campaign promises, to the detriment of his own
integrity, it is hurting enough when a leader runs the economy aground and is
implementing anti-people policies, that impose hardship and suffering on the
people; but it becomes saddening, when the leader is openly insensitive to
bloodshed and violence, perpetrated on the strength of the faith of that
leader. General Buhari must speak loudly and act decisively, against any form
of religious intolerance, if that is the only dividend, that they will get, for
their votes and support for him.
It is on the strength of all the above that I call on the
President to urgently visit the family of the Elishas, that the President
should personally visit and console with facilities of the communities that
have so far been decimated, devastated and wrecked by Fulani herdsmen, in
demonstration of the unity and secularity of Nigeria.
Nigerians love themselves and would love to dwell in a country
united in faith and religious practices. I therefore urge the President not to
destroy that unity and togetherness, with his seeming preference for religious
fanaticism. If previous administrations have done this for their selfish and
ulterior purposes, it behoves on the present government of change, to depart
from this inglorious and divisive practice.
Thank you.
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa.
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