TS Eliot was quoted to have paraphrased it saying that politics has become too serious a matter to be left to politicians. Mr. Uche it appears merged the too. As a Bishop of the Methodist Church, he decided to throw a spanner into the political works. He told his congregation including ruiners of Naija, that Boko Haram was instituted to make governance impossible for his ‘kinsman’, President Jones.
According to his ‘revelation’ majority of Boko Haram fighters are Kanuri and Fulani bent on instituting their own caliphate to rival that of Sokoto. These nationalities want to impose the born to rule mentality and make others perpetual followers and mostly to Islamise Naija. That was appetiser; the main course is his request for opposition leaders to be jailed twelve years for saying they would create a parallel government if they lost the upcoming elections.
These flesh and blood revelations are not new, they are parodied daily on social media by regime Rottweilers and Chihuahuas not only at ‘confessions’. They have been exacerbated since it became glaring that those in power complain more than they find the balls to take manly decisions to end the insurgency, unite the nation and cure poverty. History and logic says an insurgency draws hierarchical support from the roots of its leaders. There were no Naija, African, Asian or Europeans among Christ’s twelve disciples. Hitler’s inner caucus were from his own tribe, Ojukwu’s soldiers were 90% from his own ethnic stock and President Jones had to win nominated from his own ward! Where is the ‘revelation’?
This later day regime apostle is historically daft. Boko Haram was born in 2002, became violent in 2009, long before Gudjoe knew he would become president. Maitatsine was not created to stop Shagari, a Fulani from being president. Ironically, a huge chunk of Kanuri and Fulani are Christians who love their country, loyally served its army and paid the supreme price to make Samuel Uche a Nigerian, not a Biafran.
Maybe the Kanuri and Fulani are thirsty for their own caliphate, what does one say of Ombatse in Nasarawa – are they fighting for Ombatse Kingdom? Is that why our president has no interest in bringing them to swift justice? Why hasn’t the president demonstrated solidarity with the Berom, Angas etc who bear the brunt of the carnage on the Plateau where his party holds sway? Could it be demonstrable leadership weakness?
Christian leadership ethics are replete in the scriptures. In Genesis 14 Abram’s brother, Lot was taken by marauders, he went after them, fought and recaptured “Lot with his possessions, and also the women and people.” In 1 Samuel 30, King David went after a group of bandits who raided his camp. He pursued, overtook and recovered all. What the nation asks of its president is to execute the parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15 and recover the nation from bandits and buccaneers. If the Bishop listens to more people than beer parlour gossips and Jonathan Generals who are promoted without fighting any battles, he would hear.
Nobody faults the loyalty and the supreme sacrifice that our gallant soldiers pay to keep our country glued; no, we all commend them. We are shocked that the commander in chief has not visited a single military formation boost the morale of his fighters. George Bush and Tony Blair frequently went to Iraq where they started an unjust war, Obama frequently makes such trips. Our C-in-C convicts soldiers for failing to confront insurgents armed with rocket propelled grenades with bare hands or jammed rifles.
Our C-in-C or complainant in chief could not find weapons for his army but he authorised a brigand to buy gunships from Norway. His array of presidential jets are more than the air force has to defend the nation, yet he is buying a brand new one in this year’s budget. Too bad this is not ‘revealed’ to the ‘bishop’ as the need to jail his opponents and clear the coast for him.
This bishopric revelation smells of Arsehole Rock dollars. True Christian leaders do not widen national cracks, they build bridges of mutual understanding, and talk truth to power. They read and meditate on scriptures and discountenance pro-regime gossip. John the Baptist told Herod it was wrong to snatch his brother’s wife at the price of losing his head. Can Samuel Uche tell President Jones to #BringBackOurGirls? It’s been seven months since they were abducted. David rescued his own wife and kids, Abram rescued his brother Lot and the Good Samaritan rescued the victim of armed robbery, this president should rescue the nation from the precipice. The exalted office of bishop is not for religious lickspittles.