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By Rees Chikwendu
Today, Nigerian churches have grown to become a strong force to reckon amongst Nigeria’s two major religions. They are shaping the Nigerian society in a way that has never been seen in the history of the nation. However, rather than continue to be a force for good that shapes individuals, peoples and communities, many Nigerian churches have brazenly aligned with the criminal ruling elites to bring monumental miseries to Nigerian people. In most cases, these churches openly show their support for these elites in wanton attempt to exploit powers and expansions, and have become grounds for political campaigns.
However, what I did not understand is how sophisticated and deadly these alliances have become. But as I labor to unravel the ongoing damages that Nigerian churches are inflicting on Nigerians, especially the youths, the further overwhelmed I become discovering how the churches have turned into cartels: a complex genius cartel with damning effects on Nigerian young population. Masturbating on this complexity, I see that Nigerian churches in desperate attempt have acted in collusion with the elites to destroy the lives of many young Nigerians.
In my current understanding of Nigerian churches, they have strong influence on the minds of Nigerian youths. This influence has developed into a deadly addiction not unlike drugs, and it is destroying the intelligent minds of many Nigerians. Don’t get me wrong; I would be doing grave injustice if I were to compare all Nigerian churches to deadly cartels or substance addictions. I am convinced that there are necessary addictions just as there are drugs of necessity. These drugs are often prescribed by certified doctors, however sometimes by illegal practitioners that peddle drugs through the backdoors for a price.
As a metaphor, this is not far from what Nigerian churches are, and what they are doing to Nigerian young generation – deadly drugs being peddled by self-acclaimed ‘men of God’ – against unsuspecting and blissfully ignorant Nigerians. In its operations, the church use the name of God and the Bible as a means to cooking and rolling dangerous pills to the ‘amorphous’ Nigerian masses. And just like opium smoked through a gong or pipe, these deadly drugs are smoked from the pews every Sunday in many Nigerian churches.
Far from this description, most Nigerian churches in a collective term are a sophisticated and coherent business organization, engaged today by the criminal ruling elites of the country. It might be hard to explain at this point, but the reality within Nigerian religious environment is a business cartel in a partnership with the corrupt elites.
In order to comprehend this, it is important to look at it as a business model with a demand and supply side, whereby the churches supply needed services – brainwashing or junking of Nigerian youths. And what is important here is that there is a current market created by the criminal elites and the Nigerian religious cartel; the latter supplies to the former. We can also see this relationship as outsourcing, franchising, or licensing between the two, in order to perfect the strategy that will keep the young generation weak to revolt, while they keep reaping their gains. Business does not simply come into existence on its own, but are created by people with interests and objectives, usually for a profit. To be efficient and effective, some activities are sometimes outsourced to those who are better in providing the services. This is where Nigerian churches become useful partners to the ruling criminal elites, by engaging the services of these churches to keep brainwashing the youths in the name of God.
Potentially, Nigeria is one of the richest countries in the world based on its natural and human resources. At the same time it is obviously one of the most corrupt countries in the world, due to an emergence of criminal elites after independence; who now position themselves as gods and masters of the citizens. Nigeria’s large population majorly of young people between the ages of 18-35 is a potential threat to its corrupt elites, who are not yet tired looting the treasury of the state. To achieve this objective, they need to – in a genius manner – have absolute control of the minds of these youths through the churches to avoid a possible implode. Nigerian churches have become the ready supplier of the needed services by the elites – to keep injecting their religious drugs into the brains and minds of the blissful ignorant Nigerian youths, thereby making them mentally lazy, junked, or gowed, becoming unable to rise up against the corrupt elites. In addition, these ‘men of God’ for their own business benefit are ripping off the poor Nigerians, while asking them to suffer and smile or wait upon the lord for their emancipation from corruption and poverty.
No doubt, most Nigerians have been brainwashed into believing that every bit of their problems require a miracle from God. They would often tell you that in every little problem that requires practical solutions to pray over it or wait for God’s own time. The elites understand this mentality, and their negligence is the reason for the endemic corruption crippling the country. Exactly the result the elites want in engaging the church for this purpose.
Of course, a drug addict does not often recognize the damage the drug does to him/her. In addition, they would build a wall of secrecy with the supplier of the drugs for constant supply, because that is the only way (s)he could escape from the sad reality – the pains and misery being born in almost a failed state. This is what keeps sustaining a cartel or an underworld, thriving on the lives of the victims. Sadly, most of these Nigerians are unaware of their pitiable condition. The more they are being brainwashed, the more ready they are to defend the integrity of the suppliers of these substances, which helps them to ‘escape’ from their problems. At least hallucination provides this momentary escapism.
For these poor Nigerians, God is their only hope since they have become mentally disengaged to challenge the elites, and they keep waiting for that miracle rather than taking their destiny in their own hands. They look up to these ‘men of God’ to show them the way to God who is their last resort, while those who have been liberated from the shackles of these atrocious men, and do not go to these churches or pay their tithes to them are the ones condemned to the fiery gehenna.
At the moment, the Nigerian elites and the religious cartel have formed a powerful business organization; a multi-billion dollar multinational corporation destroying the lives of Nigerians. Sometimes, these churches even play a PR role for the government, rather than standing with the masses against the criminal elites.
As long as Nigerian youths remain mentally dormant, their deliverance from the criminal ruling elites is far from the horizon. These elites and their religious franchise would do anything to make sure that the young generation of Nigerians do not succeed, and would try to poach the individual efforts of the unflinching, resolute, and persevering ones. But it is the duty of young generation of Nigerians to rise up and save the country from the carnage. The sleeping is going on for too long, and now is the time to wake up to action. Let your anger against corruption and injustices lead you to action against those stealing your lives. Go beyond talking; act! Go beyond walking; run! You are your destiny. Yes, God still performs miracle, but not in that way you are expecting him to do it today. Everyone must work out his/her own salvation.
Find me on twitter @reesful
Source: OpinionNigeria
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