When I read Adamu Adamu’s Friday column of August 9th, 2013, captioned “Is the North a lip? (111)”, in one of the national dailies, my first thought was to dismiss the write-up as yet another pretentious crusade for which Islamic columnists are known. But having read a couple of write-ups and the tricky styles of these essayists, especially now that they appear to have unrealistically high opinion of themselves, it became inevitable that the exaggerated claims, characterised by the excessive criticism of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, and past presidents, must not go unchallenged.
This is so because the discerned motive of Adamu is to tip over the conducive atmosphere now existing, to bring about an intended result for Christians in this era of Islamic fundamentalism as represented by Boko Haram – a sect with strict view of doctrine that is based on a twisted interpretation – in order to return Nigeria to the former days of Othman Dan Fodio.
An avid reader of the columnists in question will not fail to notice that Islamic religious considerations have always been the inspiration for their write-ups. This is why they will not see anything good in Christianity, Christians and their leaders.
I will classify their essays as always lacking intellectual rigour because an intellectual is someone who follows the basis of logic and whose principles do not betray sound judgment. That being the case, Adamu cannot lay claim to being one because those who involve their mental processes in abstract thinking and reasoning will not put their pen to paper without evidence.
For instance, what evidence has he that CAN is the spiritual arm of the Presidency? An intellectual does not base his statements on rumour or hearsay but on empirical evidence. Sound writers try hard to achieve harmony and balance in their write-ups. But what is contained in this piece by Adamu is a blend of passion and irrationality.
It is funny how the thoughts of their religion can warp the judgment of supposedly intelligent writers. For me, Adamu’s thoughts in this write-up are legitimate and constitutionally guaranteed rights. But no matter how important the freedom of expression guaranteed by the constitution is, he cannot impose the failed system of Ja’amatu Nasril Islam (JNI) and the practice of his religion on CAN and its leadership.
His analyses, like this one under review, have always been a mixture of erudition and fanaticism, a trait that always betrays a complete lack of reason. Yet to core northern Muslim dreamers and pretenders, his analysis can never be faulted; the same way the leader of JNI and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar 111, a man who acts as though he can never be wrong.
If you doubt me, compare the era of Sultan Muhammadu Maccido of blessed memory and that of Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar 111. Maccido was, peacefully, a man of conviction who believed that true religion preaches love, open-mindedness, compassion and many other values that lead not to the kind of doctrines we have today under the present Sultan of Sokoto and leader of JNI.
Now, let us take the offending points one after the other. Adamu holds the view that Christian leaders, beginning from the time of His Eminence, Francis Cardinal Okogie to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, have been combative and unpredictable, respectively and that “either because of opposition for opposition sake or because of genuine fears, Christian leaders have often fiercely opposed any Muslim project even if it held no prospect of adverse effect on Christians or their interests.”
He mentioned the case of the OIC and noted that “the fact that Nigeria’s entry into that organisation would draw this type of Christian opposition was indicative of a level of Christian intolerance that had not abated to this day, but which could not be excused on the altar of ignorance of the nature and role of the OIC, or the fiction that it was being turned into an Islamic state.”
This kind of reckless submission by Adamu, who believes that the position of Muslims on the OIC palaver must be swallowed by all, is a towering representation of the assailing culture of impunity with which JNI leaders act in a bid to satisfy the interests of their members. Why would CAN leaders fold their arms and shut their mouths when their members are opposed to issues that are not in their interests? OIC means Organisation of Islamic Conference. Would JNI and the Sultan remain quiet were it Organisation of Christian Conference?
If being vocal against OIC qualified the years of His Eminence Francis Cardinal Okogie as the President of CAN to be combative and the outspoken nature of the current CAN leaders about the evils of the violent sect demands name calling, then JNI leaders should have kept quiet now that worshippers are being gunned down after praying in mosques.
If Boko Haram ends up impelling the north to accept Sharia and it moves without direction or purpose into an Islamic state, then these defenders of the Boko Haram doctrine would be going out of the fundamental calling of rationality.
Apparently referring to the Boko Haram insurgency, Adamu remarked that “instead of sympathising with Muslims in the north over an existential national tragedy, the leadership of CAN, especially Pastor Oritsejafor, its chairman, appeared more interested in stoking the fires of a totally different conflict of its own making.”
Whereas Christians in the north are at the receiving end as their churches and adherents are the primary targets of the evil sect, Adamu writes as though the areas affected are populated by Muslims alone. This is the myopic assessment of situations in the north by columnists like Adamu which is gradually resulting in loss of unity in the north. What is wrong if Oritsejafor opposes any form of dialogue with Boko Haram in so far as their demand is the imposition of Sharia and extermination of those he leads from Nigeria?
What Oritsejafor, as the leader of Christians in Nigeria, has done, and is doing, is to state a fair summation of the opinions of Christians, whether in the north or south. Unlike those who promote feudalism and dictatorship in the northern part of Nigeria, Christianity advances the growth and development of democracy. It rejects systems that do not encourage rotation or contest as the basis for leadership.
Come to think of it: a system that produces terrorists is urgently in need of a review. By extension, therefore, the leadership of groups that adopt such a system has failed because just as they have used everything evil to undermine Christianity and divide Christians for their selfish ends, they have exploited Islam and used it for despotic rule. They have erected official clerical hierarchy and systems that are alien to Islam. That is why peace thrives in the southern part of the country. In the south, there is harmony because there is the combined effort by both Muslims and Christians to achieve the results that is greater than the sum of their individual effects or capabilities. So who is stoking the fires of conflict?
The deeply offensive intentions of Adamu and the message they seek to convey are evident to the extent that the write-up was not only contrived but was also calculated to create a greater wedge between the Catholic Church and other denominations. That is why he can afford to name the Catholic Church as one denomination that opposed CAN and led to the impression that Christians have not been speaking with one voice.
He branded CAN as “merely a spiritual arm of a ruling party”. Again no evidence was provided to prove the point. But Nigerians know those who are only interested in hanging out in the corridors of power for selfish reasons.
Adamu wants a new leadership for CAN and is not happy with the support of northern CAN for Pastor Oritsejafor. For his information, a new election has just been conducted and Oritsejafor won overwhelmingly and will be in the saddle for another three years. What a pity! Adamu and his fellow anti-CAN and anti-Christian columnists should strive to blend their faith with reason and do what would advance the growth of Nigeria.
These columnists should realise that religion should be an inward experience and felt phenomenon, one mostly related to life’s permanent aspect. People like Adamu may also see their religion as a philosophy and a set of rational principles. The problem is that they have difficulties in rationalising the true intent of Islam. Therefore, they see it as purely political, sociological and economic system of ideologies.
If we situate Islam in its proper context and compare it with today’s modern liberal democracy, we will understand the position of Islam and democracy with respect to each other. For now, the JNI and its leaders have perverted the fact that Islam establishes fundamental principles that orient its members’ general character, leaving the choice of who leads them to democratic ideals according to time and circumstances. After all, there are credible, trustworthy Muslims with the means in the southern part of Nigeria that can head the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA.
This is why I will call on persuasive purveyors of cheap blackmail who engage in patently mischievous and blatantly ignorant analyses of what CAN stands for, what it does and how it is being administered to involve the psychological processes of thinking and reasoning rather than religious emotions.
– Olaniyan, a banker, writes from Ajegunle, Apapa, Lagos.
