Religious leaders and leadership failure in Nigeria

I want to discuss a rare and delicate subject, which most shy from discussing.This has to do with an experience I had last week with somebody, who I respect so much as a scholar. The attitude of this man and other so-called scholars has contributed a lot in the leadership crisis we are witnessing today.

Leadership, according to scholars, is seen as involvement of a wide range of institutions and actors in production of policy outcomes, including non- governmental organisations, private companies, pressure groups and social movements apart from the traditional and formal state institutions. However, one institution that receives little or no attention in Nigeria, when it comes to failure of leadership is the religious institution. Religion provides the ultimate source of a group's identity and reason for being. To be religious is to effect in some way and in some measure a vital adjustment (however tentative and incomplete) to whatever is reacted implicitly or explicitly as worthy of serious and ulterior concern. All our life – our aspect of behaviour, interaction etc. can be given religious significance. That is why religious leaders play a vital role in the moral and spiritual aspect of our lives. They are respected everywhere. Their contributions towards ensuring peace and social harmony cannot be overemphasized. However, since the inception of democracy in Nigeria 10 years ago, the attitudes and behaviour of some religious leaders is becoming pathetic and to some extent shameful. It is a common knowledge to all, how some clergy men in this country degrade themselves to sycophancy level, boot leaking and twisting the teachings of their religion just to gain favour from politicians.

When we list how indices of failure stare us in the face – a weak political foundation, an irresponsible, unaccountable political elite, passive citizens, the crippling effects of corruption, lack of social order, spiritual and moral bankruptcy, a rise in the spiral of violence, poverty, hunger and misery, lack of social services, collapse of infrastructure, we tend to forget one important factor – the role which religious leaders play or failed to play, which led to where we found ourselves today. Although it is absolutely difficult to believe that the supernatural sanctions of religion can be bought off by proper observance of purely religious rules, it is not surprising that they carry little weight as motive. Nor is it easy, in a period in which all moral authority is dominated by secular ideology, to determine precisely that extent of the influence of religion or religious leaders on the contents of our moral beliefs. However, we cannot dispute the fact that religious leaders still play a very prominent role in the way and manner we go about interacting with our fellow human beings.
Nigeria is a religious country, even though we pretend to be running a secular constitution. The number of churches and mosques scattered in every corner in our major cities, towns and villages is an indication of the role religion play in our personal life. However, to be sincere our Ulemas and Pastors contributed a lot to the present state of the country. They have failed, as guides, to provide, either in their preaching or in a forum, the needed leadership or call the attention of our leaders on their excesses. Never in the mosques or churches do they come clear to tell their followers the repercussion of public stealing, for instance, or tell them that God is never happy with any leader that is unjust to his people. They have failed to imbibe the attitude of honesty and God fearing and have contributed sometimes in the stealing and looting of public treasury, by encouraging corrupt leaders.
Religion provides a meaning for life which reinforces the morals and social norms held collectively by all within a society. Religion provides social control, cohesion, and purpose for people, as well as another means of communication and gathering for individuals to interact and reaffirm social norms. But for us, reverse is the case, religious and political forces join hands in the exploitation and oppression of their followers.
Think of it, how much is spent every year by politicians, top government officials on Ulemas to go and perform the lesser hajj? The money runs into billions. Then the same amount is also expended on Hajj using tax payers’ money. Or imagine billions spent on Christians visitors to the Holy Land every year with tax payer’s money. Where as millions of Nigerians are living in abject poverty and lack of basic amenities. To these Ulemas and Pastors, a politician that sponsors them to these trips is a good politician, even if their neighbours are walloping in poverty. The most pathetic aspect of it is that the followers failed to understand these people and their treachery against them and the religion.
The same Ulemas and Pastors are ready to preach enmity and division and instigate their followers to start killing each other because a Christian has parked his car in a Mosque premises or a Muslim has done so in a Church premises. What a country? As Nigerians we need to realise that our major problem is not our Muslim neighbour or a Christian neighbour, who daily struggle to make ends meet, but that politician you ‘voted’ for and failed to keep his campaign promises. The sooner we realise this better.