ARMS AND THE MAN OF GOD By Osondu Ahirika Try as hard as I have, to resist the equally inexorable pull to comment on the raging 9.3 million dollars arms deal, gone awry, involving the Private jet of, celebrated Man of God, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, I find myself finally succumbing to the itch, to ink a word or two on matters arising. First though, let me make these three submissions. (I)Everything I write here is weighed against the truism that, Caesars wife should be above suspicion. I ascribe such fidelity to the exalted office of a Bishop. (II)That in my personal opinion, Papa Oritsejafor is about the greatest exponent of the gospel and preacher in Nigeria, since Archbishop Benson Idahosa,(peace on his ashes) his mentor. For the elucidation and depth of insight he exudes, whenever he preaches, I have made it a duty to listen to him, anytime he storms Uyo, for the Annual Power City Convention, with Rev. Dr Abel Damina as host. My other favourite, I rank around him is Bishop T. D. Jakes (III)What if it was the Emir of Kano, that was involved in the whole saga, dont you think, the entire media will be awash with bizarre headlines and severe conspiracy tales? How much more if the Private Jet belonged to the Sultan of Sokoto, in this season of Boko Haram, what will you say dear reader? Exactly why I can reconcile with the uproar of muslims and the far north who are crying foul, over the scandal. This is exactly, where my thesis begins. Now, the man in the eye of the storm is not a mere mortal. Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, is the founder of the sprawling, Word of Life Bible Church, with headquarters at Warri, Delta State, and President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN. What has become his hurricane tenure began on July 5, 2010. In a hotly contested election, Papa Ayo trounced then incumbent, Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja Catholic Diocese, who was hell-bent on a second term and the Primate, Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, The Most Rev. Nicholas D. Okoh to clinch the coveted CAN top job. Oritsejafor scored a whooping 66 votes, from the possible 105, leaving Onaiyekan to manage 38 votes in second position. That, the fractious election, fraught with tension and intrigues didnt tear CAN apart was a miracle. A congratulatory message published in national dailies, from his mentee in the Ministry, Dr Abel Damina, captured the dynamics of CANs politics. Here, I reproduce the spirit and letters of that felicity. Damina wrote: Against all odds, contrary to political calculations, despite the road blocks, and some peoples manipulations, you have made it to the top. Yes, it was laborious, but you emerged victorious. The world will now see that, We can, as you begin to sit over the affairs of CAN. In the comity of pentecostal pastors, you have become the first and it shows you are the best. Our family hails you, our father and pastor. We rejoice with you, we celebrate you. May this mark the beginning of more great things. Folks, I hope you read between the lines, to discern the unsaid volumes. That message has proved to be both ironic and prophetic. Great things have indeed happened to Papa Ayo, one of them being, the gift of a Bombardier Challenger 601 private jet to him, by faithfuls and partners worldwide(as we were told), on the 40th anniversary of his call to ministry. The goal? To aid his junket around the world pushing the Goodnews. Happening during the age of the rush by Nigerias privileged exclusive elite club, many people raised issues over that expensive development, and the grinding poverty of most members of the Church. Papa Ayo defended and rationalized the hefty luxury gift, as an expedient one. He has also became a very visible leader that has influenced the political leadership of this nation as co-chair of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council with the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Saadu Abubakar. (Un)fortunatelyt, he came to power at the time, islamic extremists, known as Boko Haram, were on the upsurge. On the trail of the haramites every rampage was sorrow, tears and blood, especially for Christians in the Northern part of the country and moderate muslims. They were slaughtered in their hundreds. Bombed in churches. Their homes looted and burnt. Their wives and daughters raped and abducted. As a father, Oritsejafor protested vehemently, and justifiably so. When Government seemed incapable of halting the genoicide, he threatened, the Church may decide to take up arms and defend themselves. Thats the Freudian-slip, that has mangled him with suspicion over the arms saga. Former Biafran Warlord, Late Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu had made a similar statement before. In the face of massacre of igbos and Southerners in the North, he observed that, no one tribe or religion had a monopoly of violence. It is now no longer news that, The South Africa Revenue Service (SARS) grounded his private jet and seized a humungous 9.3million dollars carted to their country aboard the aircraft. The federal Government has since owned-up the money explaining that it was meant for the purchase of arms for the security agencies to fight insurgents. Is it a mere coincidence that Oritsejafors private jet which he disclosed had been leased out is involved? Or is it a case of the witch crying in the night and the baby dying in the morning? Is it a well orchestrated set-up by some security spooks in our nation, who are fifth columnists, with a pre-mediated goal to rubbish the CAN boss, and his religion in the over view? Questions, ouestions and more puzzles. Before now, the Catholics have withdrawn from CAN, alleging that the umbrella body has become a partisan politicised entity, under Oritsejafors watch and is no longer the champion of the voiceless within society. I saw that action as a fall out of the grudge war, an aftermath of the electioneering, which Dr Damina alluded to with words like, Against all odds, contrary to political calculations, despite the road blocks, and some peoples manipulations, you have made it to the top. Yes, it was laborious, but you emerged victorious. CAN could not therefore present a formidable front to confront the assault on Christians by Boko Haram. The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, as we all know, is the most powerful of the five blocks that make up CAN. Pastor Oritsejafor has been leading a body with knee injury, with the consequent hamstring of his allure as head of all christians. Little surprise, that, former Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie will add fire to the furnace Oritsejafor currently stirs in. Okogie was quoted to have, while reacting to the $9.3 million arms deal in South Africa, criticized Oritsejafor for establishing a University(another great feat), and for allegedly romancing with President Goodluck Jonathan, saying, it had totally derailed him from the essence of Christian leadership. Is Okogies tongue-lash, the proverbial, even thou Brutus/the unkindest cut? Embattled and under unspeakable pressure, Pastor Oritsejafor during an emergency meeting of the expanded National Executive Council, NEC, of CAN in Abuja, offered a humble affidavit: He said, “Distinguished leaders of the Church, please permit me to state clearly before God and before all of you here present today, I am not a party to the movement of $9.3 million from Nigeria to South Africa to purchase arms and ammunition. I am not part of the deal. I know nothing about it. Folks, I believe him and wont probe any further. He has invoked Gods name. However, my pending concern is his position that, this saga is a, War against the Church. While calling for unity of the christian community and leadership, Oritsejafor said, “In as much as I am shocked and distressed by the incident, I wish to appeal to Christians in Nigeria to remember that a war has been waged against the Nigerian Church. This war is being fought on many fronts and this unfortunate incident is another dimension in the assault against the Church. Let us pray, Nigeria does not drift to the precipice as in Central African Republic, torn apart by sectarian conflict. Where, the christian anti Balaka militia, is locked in a fratricidal war with the muslim Seleka rebels. Political power play was the seed of this bloodbath, just like Boko Haram is budding here in Nigeria. Some say, against President Jonathans bid for 2015, and the allied contempt for a Southern/christian President. On a parting note, the whole episode is a close shave with George Bernard Shaws(1850-1956) epic play, ARMS AND THE MAN. I shall not recount the story, but it relates some significance to the ARMS DEAL AND THE MAN OF GOD. In Arms and the Man, Shaw denounces the false ideals of warfare and the soldier’s profession. Using a character Captain Bluntschli, Shaw depicts a professional soldier who ironically sees nothing romantic about the violent and senseless slaughter of human beings. A weird but ideal protagonist, Bluntschili hides in a ladys bedchamber to save his life. He chooses to eat rather than to kill; instead of cartridges for his rifle, he carries chocolates. I believe, rather than traffic arms, the Man of God would share Bibles and hymn books. Instead of committing/abetting mass murder, Pastor Oritsejafor will rather facilitate life-changing crusades and outreaches. He is a soldier of Christ and Captain of the Lords Army with the Bluntschili spirit. I believe so. It is left for those misguided Boko Haram extremists, and lurking elements of the Church Militant, spoiling for revenge killings learn something from Shaws ARMS AND THE MAN? I have. Playing Bluntschili, is the same as turning the other cheek and sheathing your sword in the face of unprovoked aggression as Jesus our exemplar taught. What do you think?
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 06:07:43 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015