Who is responsible for Nigeria’s failure?

Before I answer the question, let me teach you a bit of Logic:

Major Premise: All men (humans) are Mortal

Minor Premise: Socrates is a man (or human)

Conclusion: Socrates is mortal

Back to Nigeria: Who is responsible for Nigeria’s failure?

Major Premise

You will hear a chorus answer — its leaders!

Well, the people of a nation choose the leaders from among them and indirectly determine their fate.

1 Samuel 8: 6–7. 6. But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7. And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”

So, who “creates” the people or influences their outlook and values for decision making? Who has the greatest influence on Nigerians? I would vote for the religious (faith) and cultural institutions especially in the formative years of the country? Since religion claims to be superior to culture, let’s narrow down on the two dominant religions in Nigeria of which Christianity is one.

Minor Premise

Nigeria is made up of at least 50% of Christians or maybe slightly less and dwindling due to the increase in the childbirth rates of other religions. Notwithstanding, based on the premise above, 50% of Nigeria’s population is at least controlled by its Christian leaders.

[Digression] Have you ever heard the saying — “when my man of God asks me to jump, I don’t ask why, I ask how high”? or do you know any other entity who is entitled to a tenth of someone’s income apart from the Government?

50% of Nigeria’s failure can, therefore, be attributed to the failure of Christian leaders to raise men and women with strong values and courage required to build a nation.

[Digression] In a very very corrupt country with 50% Christians, how often do you hear a top civil servant resigned on the basis of his/her values/faith? Our probability rates are clearly upside. Don’t get me wrong, these things happen in private corners, but this testimony is not common and even when it happens — there are no Christians to stand by such men/women or maybe they are too busy voting on reality TV.

Conclusion…

Nigeria is where it is today because of the quality of the version of Christianity it widely practices. It is either fear on the part of “the righteous” or a lack of true spiritual substance or an absence of adequate righteous folks.

P.S: If Christianity claims to have more direct access to God, then we could hold it 100% responsible for Nigeria’s failure.

Selah…

Emmanuel Tarfa