Governing by prayers

"Prayers Answereth all things" is a popular mantra in Nigeria. The average Nigerian will pray about 5 times a day. The Christians will in the least pray in the morning when they get up, at night before they go to bed and once every mealtime. Muslims observe the Salat or five daily prayers. The anointed Pentecostal will even say a short prayer to enable him have the strength to say the main prayers. To say Nigerians are very prayerful people will be stating the obvious.

The main beneficiary of the prayerful Nigerian is the Nigerian Government. Nigerians will rather put their faith in prayers than hold their government accountable. The Nigerian has a prayer to counter almost every failing of the government. For bad roads, we pray for journey mercies. For poor security, we cover ourselves, houses and properties with the mighty Blood of Jesus. For unemployment, we pray for breakthrough. For our bad schools, we pray for exam success. For poor healthcare, we pray for divine healing. For anything we missed, we pray for our country Nigeria.

These days our prayer warriors and marabouts have taken on the roles of commissioners and ministers. We depend on them to fill in the gaps when government officials siphon project monies to Swiss bank accounts. This however amounts to double taxation, as prayers do not come cheap in Nigeria. Prayers for breakthrough and prosperity can cost as much as 10% of your meagre income in the form of tithes. If you require spiritual healing and insurance from your neighbourhood native doctor, you will have to factor in the going rate for a black he-goat, white cockerel, kolanuts, alligator pepper and a bottle of Hennessey or black Label. No modern native doctor worth his salt will accept aromatic schnapps or ogogoro. Everybody has gone foreign these days.

No matter how much Nigerians pray, it looks like they know there is a limit to divine intervention. Have you ever heard anybody pray, “God, please let there be electricity in my house for the next three days”? Electricity seems to be the yoke that breaks the prayer camel’s back. Even the greatest of prayer warriors and miracle workers have still not been able to invoke the first prayer “Let there be light”. Generator and candle sellers do not need to do prayer and fasting because they know that no prayers fashioned against their business shall prosper until the government does the right this and Lights Up Nigeria.