Spectacularly, right before our very eyes, President Goodluck Jonathan is apparently going through a curious metamorphosis. Interestingly, though, the transformation did not begin today, and the course of the evolution has been steady, leading to a seeming identity crisis.
Nowadays, no one is sure whether Jonathan is a pastoral politician or a political pastor, largely on account of the fact that he has converted the pulpit into a podium for political talk. But, make no mistake; he can’t be called a reverend gentleman.
At his most recent pseudo-spiritual outing at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day service on January 12, Jonathan made snide remarks about some unnamed elderly politicians, saying, “They are people who are probably 70 or 80 years, who have seen it all, who ordinarily should know that the unity of this country is more important than the interest of any individual. “
The innuendo was unmistakable, especially in the context of his running battle with specific political greybeards. Similarly, he used the opportunity of the Christmas Day service at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Abuja, to throw barbs at politicians who think they “own this country.” The same theme coloured his speech at the New Year service at the Catholic Church at Area 3, Abuja, where he said: “All we need to do is to make sure that we continue to do things rightly. That is why I always plead with my fellow politicians that, yes, we must play politics; but let us take the interest of the country more than our own individual interest.”
In this fascinating cavalcade of political jabs, the most declarative must be Jonathan’s statement that God made him president, implying that no man could claim credit for his ascension to power. “I am here today (as President) by the grace of God,” he asserted during the Sunday service on December 29, at the Apostolic Faith Church, Jabi, Abuja.
For the avoidance of doubt, Jonathan went on to explain his movements on the church circuit, which are akin to pilgrimages, saying, “Probably, this is the first time I am worshipping with you since I came to Abuja in 2007. Probably you would have seen me more than 10 times, if we don’t have a chapel in the Villa. So, we worship there every Sunday. But during the Christmas and New Year period, I like to go round and interact with other brethren. The reason is actually to thank all of you for what you have been doing for this country, for your prayers. I always say and I will continue to say it that but for your prayers, probably it would have been worse than this.”
Content analysis of his comments suggests that he recognises that things are bad; but his thinking that they could have been “worse” implies that, as far as he is concerned, things are not bad enough. It is such mentality of tolerable negativity that encourages governmental inaction to the detriment of the country.
It is simplistic and intellectually dishonest for Jonathan to attribute the alleged non-deterioration of the country’s dire circumstances to divine intervention occasioned by church prayers. Is he suggesting that the people should look forward to more of churchy governance?
