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THE POWER OF PRAYER IN A ''RETROGRESSIVE DEMOCRACY''

f my memory serves me right and correctly, the late Pope, John Paul II visited Nigeria twice. The first time Alhaji Shehu Shagari was president; the papal mass was celebrated at the National Stadium Surulere. The second time, Maximum Junta Leader Abacha was in-charge; the Pope even shook hands with him before heading east, and across the Niger on a special mission, the canonization of Late Father Cyprain Tansi of Aguleri. As it was his custom to do, the Pope in each occasion kissed the foreground upon alighting from the plane, consecrating peace and love, the special blessing from the very man chosen to lead the Universal Church of Jesus The Christ on earth. No other spiritual leader in modern history has been known to kiss the ground, certainly not any that has ever come to the place called Nigeria.

The Pope prayed to rid the land of its Beelzebub, the one milking all the honey in the enchanted Garden of Eden while letting out the ferocious angry bees. The evidence the Pope may have cleansed the land could have been a mere reconstructive inference. It was never clear until it became clearer but in no distant due course. The coincidence of a pious imagination with the realities of the after-the-facts, proved the point beyond reasonable and unreasonable doubt, when what happened, happened. It was not long and Nigerians would wake up that morning to hear the news first from the bus-stop peddlers, one hushed voice to another and much later radio and television. It was all about how Sanni-the-butcher left the Villa; he was carried leg first out of the special playground, the place the marabouts chanted until early cockcrow. In their vision they had predicted the first military to civilian transformation call it transfiguration.

The high-tension wired Alaba Market rumor had it mixed up and twisted. Some said he overdosed on "Viagra" while waiting for those imported tomatoes; the international flight bringing them over had been delayed. Others blamed laced mixed drinks; the barman was distracted while jerry-boy was busy on the feeding bottle and could not see clearly enough to direct the traffic for the boss. Obviously, there are many versions to the true story. Some of those who knew what happened have died with what they saw and knew; the few still alive have refused to tell, but to the rest of Nigerians, believers and non-believers alike, Abacha's exit has remained a mystery.

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Could it be John Paul's first miracle in Africa or one saintly revelation for Blessed Tansi? Either way, Nigerians still doubt themselves as to how and why it happened. With such lingering guesswork, there are still a few who think Abacha traveled outside the country on vacation. What else could be the very essence of miracle if not lubed in mystery? Nobody ever thought a short man that lived larger than his pint-size, terrorizing the pants off giants could retreat into oblivion without firing a single shot. Perhaps if he is not hiding somewhere, he surely left in a hurry.

May be it was all illusion, the "devil-go-devil-come" passage of time. Abacha had hardly crossed the bridge when the gravy fight commenced afresh. They chose to condemn him in the open but behind the scene; the Abacha junta "settlement" politics was undergoing a makeover. By the time it was done, two truths would be told; the tale of two prisoners whose rallying point of compliance became the unequivocal: the choice between Matthew and Moshood, two brothers whose paths once crossed would become joined again but only in an unfortunate finality. One must die as the president Nigeria would never have, for the other to live to become the president Nigeria must have.

One shifting cultivation after another, the replacement head junta realized the preceding occupying force had fully overreached itself; nevertheless some measure of control must be maintained for all intent and purpose, to salvage whatever was left of Abacha's ghost. The rest they say is now history, how Nigeria eventually became transformed and transfigured, just what Abacha had ordered but never stayed to receive. Incidentally, the difference between Abacha and what he ordered and never received could not be clearer when measured in terms cumulative misery index, separated in time and space by the guard of incredulous incredibles hoisted on Nigerians since 1999. If progress since then is to be based on the quality and value of life the national strife credited to Abacha and his regime would pass for a mere fatigue at the Rose Rally in Tbilisi, country of Georgia.

What then happened to the miracle? Do not blame the Pope; two visits could do no trick, certainly not with the military-in-police supervising and perpetrating an organized fraud. With the election stolen and one of its own selected out of prison, the ensuing Fourth Republic automatically became another transient reality, the continuing "Republic of Fear", Nigeria's enduring and ever evolving exercise in "siege militancy". All the Abacha-cronies, including ex-convicts and discredited military and their civilian partners and errand boys alike, joined forces; they become "born-again" political evangelists. Ultimately, the devil came to church, and there was problem, confusion and more confusion. Part of the problem, the offertory of the faithful for the faithful was turned into a ritual, the confessional without penance and atonement; the confusion did not necessarily begin with the devil quoting the Bible; that too happened and Nigeria began the process of reliving its historic history, starting what could never be finished, abandoning the course mid-stream, then beginning from the beginning one more time. It is the "backward integration" phenomenon, the popular Nigerian brand, the "Retrogressive Democracy".

In recent weeks, the other famous Man-of-God, Dr. Benny Hinn arrived in Nigeria. That visit had been on the planner, albeit on schedule for the past two years. The special event christened Benny Hinn's Healing Crusade eventually came to pass. The finale captured the soul of all and sundry at the Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Sunday May 1, 2005. President Olusegun Obasanjo joined the "open air" conclave. In the end it was all fumes, body sweat and hot air, a wish list of prayer, and all about what God has to do for Nigeria and its people. Obviously, Benny Hinn is no Pope, could not be, does not claim to be and never will. But he is said to be powerful indeed, and why not? He has his roots in the land Jesus was born.

As is commonplace elsewhere Benny Hinn would touch the foreheads of the faithful at the podium and he or she would fall flat and limb in the arms of crusade provosts, each person, and one after the other. That was the replay at the Lagos Holy Ghost Prayer ground the night before. The man who said he broke his spinal code falling from a building and the woman who came clutching on one eye, all experienced first hand the healing touch. As they rose, they did so to personal confession, often with tears of captive emotion. Turn by turn they revealed to the congregation how much their ailing situation had been relieved albeit cured. The woman brought her little boy said to be deaf at birth. As she shouted loud enough into both ears, the boy responded with an incoherent sound and the crowd clapped and reverberated in the familiar chant, "Alleluia, Praise the Lord". The man-of-God stepped out reassuring them the bad spirit responsible for all the trouble had been chased out, and would return no more. It was all theater, the "show and tell" of contemporary evangelism that kept the congregation engaged, wrapped in awe with deep passion and excitement.

Whether real, imagined, believable or unbelievable, there must be some ecumenical, ultimate social value in Benny Hinn's presence. If that moonlight night benediction succeeded in helping those thousands, escape from their immediate and lingering emotional and psychological problems, the service would well be worth all the hype. For people whose happy moment of cheers and smiles would wait for the next celebration of the favorite team, Enyimba or Super Eagle soccer victory, the Crusade might as well become the food of life and Dr. Hinn would be deserving of credit and more. It was not just the word of God and surely the people have had so much, almost enough from their local pastors. The difference was perhaps the person, the delivery, the one telling them to keep faith and hope alive, believing one day all their sufferings would be over.

That message of hope is the same everyday political slogan; they have heard it before, the convergence of church and state. Hearing the same and similarly from Benny Hinn surely made Obasanjo the president more believable. Telling them "be patient, everything would be fine" would normally have a calming effect on the ignorant but pious mind. The doubt was not Dr. Hinn's sincerity with that message but how often, the many times Nigerians have heard the same, same old crap. Nothing would seem to change the plight of these victims of deceit, certainly not one more preaching from any military cum civilian politician, basking in a night vigil with Benny Hinn.

With Nigeria sharing all afflictions known to man, prostrate and lying face down, Benny Hinn surely had his job cut out for him. The least definitely would not be how to resuscitate a very sick giant on life-support. For all that and more he needed the services and support of the "Evangelist-In-Chief", Ogbeni St. Matthew.

President Obasanjo credits Pope John Paul II with saving his life. Apparently His Holiness is said to have pleaded with Abacha to grant clemency to the one in jail awaiting the hangman's noose. Eventually, Obasanjo was not only released from prison, his jailer left the crime scene the ghost of his ancestors. At least the president is one living testimony. Could it be the proof positive there was really a miracle? If true, the irony could be the one who admittedly benefited most is making it difficult for more redeeming miracles to happen on his watch. When then will Nigeria be released from jail?

And so at the Pope's funeral in April of 2005, President Obasanjo returned favors with gratitude. While at that event, the president also prayed for Nigeria. The content of his prayer was made known later. He not only went to bury the Pope but also to supplicate on behalf of his countrymen and women; so he said. Since 1999, he has been carrying the Abacha leftover, chasing the man's stolen treasury notes hidden in financial warehouses all over the world; meantime the latter-day Abachas are busy stowing away more.

Obasanjo supposedly came to the Vatican City, bringing with him the tin-man, the effigy of all the evil spirits menacing his country. The symbolism of Nigeria's crock-pot of innumerable plague is essentially stuffed with sand. It was one unique opportunity to lay it all at the feet of the departing Pontiff for the last time. The president prayed very fervently indeed before returning home, still fully loaded and burdened.

The sand grains would represent the many devils banished away from the shores of Nigeria and the president wanted to be sure they did not come back. Barely one month into this special executive pilgrimage, he brought the tin-man's casket to the Benny Hinn crusade. With all and sundry gathered, the president continued the prayer:

"We speak to the soul and spirit of Nigeria to arise. Nigeria rise and take your rightful place in the comity of nations. Nigeria shall rise and be blessed. Never again shall this nation experience backwardness. Nigeria will grow from grace to grace, from glory to glory."

The prayer continued: "Nigeria is a mighty arrow in the hand of the Lord. Hence Nigeria will continue to stand out in the nations of the world. We bless Nigeria today and everyday. It is well with Nigeria. Nigeria is blessed forever more, Amen, Amen. We take our stand against the forces of darkness that are working against the progress of Nigeria. We command the hand of the wicked one to be broken over our nation. Nigeria belongs to God and the fullness thereof. And Nigeria shall attain unlimited greatness."

At this moment Benny Hinn must be losing his own trend of thoughts, perhaps getting impatient. After all, the trip to Nigeria is said to have cost his organization $4 million. Did the government of Nigeria contribute to defray this cost? Who knows and who cares? For the sake of goodness and full disclosure, Dr. Hinn would need more than one visit to learn a lot more history to determine first hand, whether or not Nigeria is really a nation. If he found out, the next time around he would come better prepared. The prayers then if needed would be and ought to be how to make Nigeria a nation to enable it take its rightful place. Question is, if Nigeria could really become United Nations, it must first "Federate" into a unifying "Bond" of representative common interests. Under such a scenario, who would have the capacity, the power and leverage to lay the foundation for nationhood, Benny Hinn or Obasanjo? May be it is not all about prayers but what those in-charge of Nigeria must do right after prayers.

Perhaps it was befitting then for the president to lead the prayer and he continued the best way he knew how:

"We have taken your mercy for granted and displayed acts of wickedness in the polity, disobeying your word of direction. Several times our nation had witnessed acts of violence, communal clashes, corruption, injustice, oppression and sins that are abominable to you a holy God. We publicly acknowledge our sins and iniquities before you. Innocent blood has been shed in our nation. We have not been fair to one another. Lord, we do not hide our sins. We are indeed very sorry for our ungodliness and national rebellion.

I acknowledge on behalf of Nigeria and Nigerians our grievous sins at every level of our corporate existence. We plead mercy today. We repent and announce all our iniquities before you oh God. We repent and turn from our wicked ways. We turn to you Jehovah that you will cleanse us from all our unrighteousness. Please turn to us in your mercy and heal our land Lord. Rule and reign in Nigeria. Take your rightful place in this nation. Rule over our lives and reign over Nigeria. Let peace and prosperity permeate Nigeria."

Obviously, if what is wrong with Nigeria, just as what is right about Nigeria could be resolved, solved and sustained by prayer and all prayer alone, Obasanjo should and ought to be retained as president of Nigeria for life, or at least until another Nigerian Messiah comes. However, and in reality, the sooner those in-charge and perhaps all Nigerians realize God's work must start, begin and continue with man's good works here on earth, Nigeria will continue to import what it has in abundance, exporting what it cannot afford to lose.

Benny Hinn has since departed Nigeria but the general overseers and pastors have been locked in retreat counting the "Change". Some among them are threatening court action and the Nigerian factor is said to have loomed high with graft and greed. If it did not happen why then did Benny Hinn come? Nigeria could not have loosened its scepter with just one Hinn visit. Unfortunately, in six years the children of Beelzebub have regrouped; some have grown beard, nurturing hairs in the wrong places. All that noise you heard after the crusade was not the story about Nigeria, but more homework assignment given to God, to do so much more for Nigeria and its people. The president prayed and Benny Hinn prayed. They told God what He must do for Nigeria and Nigerians and everybody said "Amen, Amen, Amen".

"God is in control" nevertheless greedy Nigerians stay in-charge of government. What is the responsibility of people in government? God would not take out the garbage and pick up the trash; God would not fix potholes and repair the Onitsha Bridge; God would not cleanup oil-field pollution in Niger Delta; God would not pay workers salaries and pension of retirees. God would not clean toilets at the airports or for instance provide potable running water at the National Assembly Complex. God would not build and equip libraries in high schools and Universities, certainly not if He has already convinced governors and contractors to donate "stolen money" to the first presidential library at Ota.

What really does Nigeria and Nigerians want from God? In straight talk, and in fairness, what does President Olusegun and his administration want from God that has yet to be delivered? Would it be Billions of Dollars of Windfall with crude oil price hovering over $50 per barrel? Could it be the office of an executive president that also doubles as Petroleum Minister? Incidentally, Obasanjo is the only "honest" Nigerian that can manage and run the Petroleum Ministry, and God gave it to him. What else does the he want? With a "cash and carry" financial system that relies entirely on paper currency, discouraging use of coins as an authorized legal exchange and tender, there is enough cash to go around. What then is the problem? Is it a bunch of emasculated "Boys in the Hood" National Assembly rascals ready to approve anything and everything so long as the president wants it, offering the right bribe to stifle dissent and quench agitation and opposition? Could it be the preponderance of fat and mean-looking attack-dogs, the Fanny Kayodes ready to run the opposition out of town? What is really so wrong, with so much prayer from the Pope, Benny Hinn, Bunke and others, not counting the local Adeboyes and the Chief Imams and the Guru Maharajas, still the problems have remained intractable? Ironically, it is all about Nigeria, a country so blessed yet in dare need of Divine Intervention.

The US Intelligence Report on Nigeria might as well be a revelation, coming on the heels the Crusade. The president is said to have gone postal after reading the report. Obviously, the truth just as lies, could make one jump; the difference is how high. The Report is not saying anything God has yet to reveal to Nigerians and its leaders. Nigerians know their education system has collapsed at all levels. Contribution from the mushroom of private institutions is purely and simply academic; it is neither functional nor relevant to any articulated public policy of purpose. Public health, sanitation and the environment have been degraded beyond repair; if and when in doubt the extent and degree of degradation, visit parts of southern Nigeria and watch gully erosion and mass waste in action. Nigerians count their dead daily as a measure of success in primary healthcare delivery.

The deliberate effort since 1999 to foster one-party presidential politics is well documented. It began with that trade-by-barter primary at the Jos Stadium, rigged elections weeks later, and in four years progressed to winning without elections, culminating in civilian coup, the abduction of a state governor. It is all part of a series of federal government-sponsored organized crimes, that never stopped, even after claiming the life of the chief law enforcement officer of the land, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. Therefore calling the report a "dubious or diabolical benchmark" seems to contradict the essence of all the prayers and confessions at the Benny Hinn Crusade.

Here are a few extracts from that Intelligence Report: "While currently Nigeria's leaders are locked in a bad marriage that all dislike but dare not leave, there are possibilities that could disrupt the precarious equilibrium in Abuja". Which line of this statement is not considered true and applicable to the Nigerian situation? The so-called Constitutional Conference is turning out to be an open market to bargain how to sell Nigeria on the basis of resource control and privileged politics. The North wants one of its own to return as president, come 2007; any constitutional framework that negates this position becomes a non-starter. The South-South, the oil producing states have two choices to make, either one of which must be traded in the open market to secure the other. It is all about "Resource-Control" and/or the "Presidency". Nigeria's political auction house is the dealer's market, based on a promissory note, to give up what you do not have to secure what you want. The North wants "Presidency" and is ironically ready to give South-South "Resource-Control".

The Southwest is completing 8 years of Obasanjo and therefore would have no more room for pro-democracy activism. In the end the Southeast would be told to go back home and continue praying and fasting and wait for next Benny Hinn Crusade, this time at the Grasshopper Stadium, Owerri.

If anybody is thinking and hoping for a Constitution that would balance the interest of the majority while ideally addressing the fears and concerns of the minority such a person must be drinking "Akara Water". Judging from the rumblings coming out the plenary sessions, and the president's choreography of intriguing antics, the Obasanjo prayers at the Hinn Crusade would remain a bleating mockery, the "monkey de work, baboon de chop" political ecumenism consistent with the predictions of the Intelligence Report.

Here is yet another excerpt from the Intelligence Report:

"The most important would be a junior officer coup that could destabilize the country to the extent that open warfare breaks out in many places in a sustained manner. If Nigeria were to become a failed state, it could drag down a large part of west Africa region."

If anybody thinks Babangida's return would be via the ballot box, please think again. The plan is to call out his sympathizers, a civilian-military coup that would install a retired former military president to take over from where Obasanjo stopped. Surely the rest of the history would be too complicated for posterity to comprehend and interpret. With that scenario, everybody will take his or her share of "One Nigeria" on the move, and the Intelligence Report would definitely be accurately predictive. The truth of the matter is that Babangida and his league of retired money bags have enough financial leverage and invasive structural and sectarian alignment to destabilize and reshape Nigeria into their own image and likeness as they wish; justification or not, they would do so with and by any means necessary.

Thus dismissing the Intelligence Report as "Wala Ishi" amounting to nothingness could become the dying man's last song, the "nunc dimitis". "If millions were to flee a collapsed Nigeria, the surrounding countries, up to and including Ghana, would be destabilized. Further, a failed Nigeria probably could not be reconstituted for many years, if ever, and not without massive international assistance." Does anybody need Benny Hinn to interpret the foregoing assessment? The internal stress in human traffic and exchange of population and infrastructural dislocation would be worse than the Asian Tsunami. The few, who would survive to eventually reach the border with Ghana, must return one day with their "multi-lingual" offspring to inhabit and perhaps inherit what would be left of the place formerly known as Nigeria. It would surely be another opportunity for Benny Hinn to return for more miracles assuming he remains on call by then. Rather than pick a fight with the Intelligence Report, Nigeria and its leaders should prove the observed predictions wrong by doing what is right, laying the foundation for the real "One Nigeria", not glib pretensions. Prayer and misplaced faith alone would not be enough without sound deed in the service of Nigeria and its peoples. It is never about the promise to do good; it is about doing good with all the opportunity given and provided to keep the promise. Confessions and more confessions would not do until the thieves return all they stole from the people and atone for the blood of their innocent victims.