By Olumide Akinrinlola
The biblical position to pray for leaders and those in government is a call to ask God to guide them and equip them with wisdom and knowledge for stable governance. The core purpose of this exhortation is to foster a safe society where people can live peacefully and with dignity alongside one another. God wants us to provide them with spiritual support so that He can guide them, rather than engaging in partisanship and politics of bitterness.
However, while the place of prayer cannot be ruled out, especially as children of God, it is essential to recognise that prayers alone will not produce technology, stop corruption, create industries, generate revenue, or prevent senseless borrowing and reckless spending. Prayers will not provide security needs, or stop unemployment, nor will they create jobs. How can we pray for what the government should be doing? Why should we pray for government administrative and responsibility failures?
Yesterday, President Bola Tinubu urged us to pray for kidnappers to repent while failing to demonstrate the political will to combat kidnapping and terrorism effectively. By now, herdsmen should have been prevented from roaming freely from one state to another. In a digital world where other countries have advanced significantly, Nigeria still operates with an analogue system of government.
While Nigerian witches and wizards remain preoccupied with traditional practices to do evil, those abroad have advanced far beyond such concerns, embracing technology and innovation. They no longer fly around neighbourhoods to perpetrate harm; instead, they are exploring space and the moon in a healthy competition to discover new innovations that address human challenges. Meanwhile, we remain bogged down by basic security challenges. Countries that once faced similar issues have developed their own solutions with sophisticated technologies, leaving Nigeria to grapple with outdated systems.
God is everywhere and not limited to Nigeria. Despite Nigerians being engrossed in prayers, we are not among the top ten best countries in the world. Recently, we transitioned from an analogue passport system to a digital passport system, and kudos must be given to Tunji Ojo. However, one must question what Ojo’s predecessors were doing in office. Is this truly an achievement we should celebrate in the 21st century, especially when other countries have made significant strides in technological advancement and innovation? Most of the time, I feel embarrassed when Nigerians celebrate achievements that other major countries accomplished 50 years ago.
The government has failed to stop the proliferation of arms and ammunition. They have failed to arrest or question politicians linked to terrorism and banditry. They have failed to stop killer herdsmen from roaming from one state to another. Instead of fighting them, they are begging Boko Haram and bandits to surrender. They are paying salaries and compensation to terrorists who have killed many innocent souls, maimed our children, and raped our women. Now, they want us to pray for kidnappers to repent. What the heck is this? How did we get here, Nigerians? How?
Our problems in Nigeria is not prayerlessness but leadership failure. Prayers for the government has long been a key responsibility of churches, but it cannot replace the government’s obligations to its citizens. We must advocate for effective governance and accountability alongside our prayers, ensuring that leaders fulfil their duties and responsibilities toward the people they serve.
I so submit.
Olumide AKinrinlola is the Publisher of Starnews NG Online Newspaper
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