Buhari and Death Wishers

Ordinarily, I won’t indulge myself in the enterprise of looking at the unwarranted situation if not for the godly intervention of Pastor Tunde Bakare, Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Lagos, and the army of those who have used the opportunity to advance their Cathedral of Hypocrisy and announce their religiosity.

The controversial pastor was quoted to have said: “For everyone wishing for the death of President Muhammad Buhari, the President will attend his/her funeral.”

Wow! This is supposed to be a man of God joining the league of death wishers of a fellow human.

Now, because the average Nigerian is given to visceral reasoning, the social media has become a crusade of sanctimonious preachments of how it is ungodly to wish the death of another human.

To be candid, as a citizen I do not know what I feel for the president. I do not wish him death, neither do I wish him life, because that is the prerogative of the Divine. As a Christian it is my ecclesiastical endeavor to pray for his good, and hope that my prayers are answered.

For some of those who profess to be Christians, and have taken the battle cry against those who have voiced their elation at the passing of the president, it is sheer grandstanding. Some of these very persons continually pray for their enemies to die. Are those enemies not in human form, or are merely some spirits that you vivid imagination conjures?

Does the Bible not command you to pray for all men, even to wish that the Lord will prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies?

It is trite to say that most Nigerians see President Buhari as their enemy. What would you tell the IPOB member who has seen his kith and kin, his comrade in the Biafran dream mowed down for no other reason than the fact that he has a right to agitate that the president is dead and he would not rejoice?

How can you convince the people of Southern Kaduna, Agatu, Shi’ites whose kindred have been killed senselessly and legion of others who have become economic destitute not to habour the ‘vile’ wish of the president’s death?

I remember with clarity the day Mallam Nasir el-Rufa’I embarked on the demolition of illegal structures in the Federal Capital Territory at Accra Street. One of the first structures pulled down was a Church. The church members refused to salvage any of their property despite entreaties for them to do so. All the while, they were at a corner hurling down heavenly asteroids and bombs on the minister to die and all those who were carrying out the demolition.

Why have I told this story? There are some matters that are not debatable if we are a people given to rigorous thought. Unfortunately, we are more enamoured of our religious piety without the corresponding moral fibre to engender a more progressive and humane society.

Who says wishing the president death is any less sin than engaging in sexual immorality; fornication, adultery and ignoring the poor and homeless? Some people wish their “enemies” a fate far terrible than death in their hearts.

Besides, Nigeria’s recent history compels such falsehood when you couch the president’s true state of health in some nebulous statement. Now that we know that the president is alive and making phone calls and watching Channels TV, can we hold him to his promise of ending medical tourism? Can we demand of him to see the world class specialists we have in our country? Can we demand more openness, tolerance and accountability of him?

Enough of the false moral monuments.