RELIGIOUS ERROR (Part 3)

PROF. BEN ONYEUKWU (REV)

NCE(Eng.) ND/HD (Journalism); BA (Hons) MA, PhD.

Call: +2348037346939  E-mail: profesorbenonyeukwu@yahoo.com

RELIGIOUS ERROR (Part 3)

PROBLEMS OF THE ASSUMPTA CATHEDRAL MONUMENT 

WRITER’S QUOTE:

“Some justify injustice when they benefit from it, others condemn it when it is against them. But a just person is someone who has nothing to do with injustice”.

MAIN TEXT:

“Do not trust in deceptive words and say. This is the temple of the Lord….Change from your evil ways. Be fair in your treatment of one another. Stop taking advantage of strangers, orphans and widows. Stop worshipping other gods, for that will destroy you…For, you do things that I hate, and then come to stand in my presence, in my own temple and say, we are safe” (Jeremiah 7).

INTRODUCTION:

            Desperate and insincere political leaders often attempt to use religion to achieve political goals, and not for the attainment of spirituality or as service to God and humanity. Therefore, let no one be deceived when certain politicians come up with certain pronouncements or policies that carry religious undertone or with gifts and donations to churches and mosques, as the so called favour or codes, in most cases, may not be true to what they are said to represent. In fact, government edits or laws informed by subjective religious impressions never work for the good of society, but breed misgivings and confusion that linger for generations, especially in secular or multi-religious communities, like Imo State and other parts of Nigeria. For instance, when in the year 2004, the then governor of Zamfara State introduced the Sharia Law in that state, some religiously misguided elements in the country considered it as a step in the right direction, probably in the supposition that the law would help check social vices in Nigeria. But, today, the multitude of problems generated by the said Islamic Code remain a major source of worry to the people of Zamfara, and now gives strong impetus to the demands of the Boko Haram Islamic Sect to have eleven more states in the country translated into Sharia States, and should they succeed, God forbid, who knows the other states they have in the agenda?

In this connection, also, the decision of the Imo State Government to translate the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral into a state monument may have kick-started a plot to make the Eastern States of Nigeria Roman Catholic States. For, by the example of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, other Roman Catholic Governors in the region may be taking their turn in translating certain Catholic Landmarks in their states into state monuments, in readiness for the consummation of the scheme, which is similar to the unholy behaviour of some past and present governors in the region who forcefully relocated their state universities to their country homes, against the original edits or laws that established the institutions, a blind vision which Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State is currently pursuing, as he mindlessly tries to relocate the Imo State University to Ideato, his country home in suppression of the aspirations of the vast majority of the people and law of the state to have the school sited at Mbaise and Ngor Okpala, and for sure, these ungodly tendencies, if not curbed, will be posing dunting problems in future, even to the Catholic Church, which may think it has been favoured by the government, as this divisive gesture is bound to cause serious socio-religious unrests in the near history of the state, and that of those that may toe this inglorious path. Having stressed this, now observe that the Imo State Government resolve to make the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral a state monument will in the days ahead;

BREED CONTEMPT POLICY DRIVE IN NON-CATHOLIC POLITICAL LEADERS OF IMO STATE

            Naturally, successive governments hold some measure of contempt that result in new policies against certain programmes of the governments they succeed in office. In Imo State, for instance, the policy that suspended the 2011, ten thousand jobs of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, and that that removed the erstwhile executive chairmen of the twenty-seven local governments of the state are good examples of contempt policies implemented by the administration of Governor Rochas Okorocha. No doubt, “contempt policy” could be positive or negative. It is positive when it objectively addresses the overall good and progress of the people governed and negative when it is informed by malicious forces that result in religious, tribal or any other form of segregation, and for the purpose of this project, the latter is in focus.

            So, the attention of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State should be drawn to the fact that his actions as governor have present and future implications, as well as negative or positive impact on the people, and so, what he does today in his capacity as the chief executive officer of the state may foster peace or bring conflict now or in the years ahead. He should also bear in mind that he is a governor in a secular state, and therefore, should discard every religious sentiment or segregation in the discharge of his duties. For, if he jettisons this piece of advice, he will alternatively be sowing a seed of discord that will definitely lead to “contempt policies” whenever non-catholic leaders take over the reins of power in the state, and when this happens, certain government decisions informed by subjective religious impressions, like the policy that pronounced the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral a State Monument in Imo, will eventually be revoked.

            Humanly, this will not go down well with the Catholic faithfuls of any generation, as they would naturally resent such an action, as well as plot the down fall of the government and people that many come up with such a decision, based on religious affiliation. But, Governor Rochas Okorocha and his team are still in position to save Imo Citizens from the envisaged future hostilities, by dropping the idea  of translating the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral into a state monument, for a non-denominational, but biblically designed  one that would be built by the government, since Imo State is a predominantly Christian Community and constitutionally, a secular state, as this would demonstrate the interest of the government in working towards the unity and peaceful co-existence of the people. However, where the government remains adamant,  the writer holds no grudges, but prays that God gives the governor and members of his cabinet many more years ahead to see and share part of the problems they have created in the state by this particular decision, which in future would also;

GENERATE VOTER-APARTY IN NON-CATHOLIC ELECTORATE AGAINST CATHOLIC POLITICIANS

                  The decision of the Imo State Government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha to translate the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral into a state monument to many non-Catholics in the state is a betrayal of the unity of the Christian faith, and casts doubts as to his ability to hold together a multi-religious community, like Imo and Nigeria, especially as he nurses presidential ambition. This display of religious segregation by the governor and his government has equally reduced the interest of non-Catholic voters for him and other Catholic politicians, who they now consider to pay back in future elections. In fact, if Governor Rochas Okorocha does not check his religious obsession in governance, he may end up receiving from non-Catholic voters in the state a similar treatment of the people of Ahiazu/Ezinihitte Mbaise Federal Constituency to the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Chief Chidi Ibe, during the 2012 re-run election in retaliation of the governor’s decision to relocate the Imo State University to Ideato, and whether the governor knows or believes it or not, his tribalistic decision to relocate the school to his country home informed the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Hon Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe in that election.

            Similarly, the governor is playing a dangerous religious game against his political future, as he may have only considered the translation of the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral into a state monument as a way of gaining Catholic support in future elections, probably because of their numerical strength, but did not consider that by relocating the Imo State University from Owerri Zone to Orlu Zone, most Catholic faithfuls from the zone will not vote or support him and his party in future polls, and by making the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral a state monument, which is a major religious discrimination, he also has lost the support of many non-Catholic Christians in the state, who presently harbour grudges against him and his party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance, (APGA).

            In view of the above, one may say that the governor uses both tribal and religious swords in his bid to achieve the goals of his people and church, as a critical look at the composition of his cabinet appears to highlight this. And so, in his government one notices that almost all his key functionaries are either from Orlu Zone, the governor’s political zone or members of the Catholic Church, the governor’s Church, may be, to make for easy attainment of zonal and religious objectives, a scenario that seems to justify the allegation in some quarters that the relocation of the Imo State University to Ideato fosters the quest of the people of Orlu Zone in anticipation of the creation of Orlu or Njaba State, whereas, the translation of the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral into a state monument aims at making Imo State a Roman Catholic State.

THE IMO STATE GOVERNMENT ENDORSEMENT OF THE ASSUMPTA CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL AS STATE MONUMENT HAS EQUALLY STIRRED-UP RESENTMENT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT AND MEMBERS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

            The action of the Imo State Government, under the leadership of Governor Rochas Okorocha that seeks the sign up the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral into a state monument, no doubt, has hatched piles of resentment in the hearts of non-Catholic Christians in the state, as they now go about with a feeling of anger and unhappiness against the government and members of the Catholic faith. Investigation shows that while Catholic faithfuls celebrate governments decision with a sense of pride, some Christians of other denominations express regrets for having worked so hard for the emergence of the present administration in the state, as others talk of other ways of apparent discrimination by the state government, apart from the issue of the Assumpta Cathedral monument. For instance, some Pentecostal Ministers have alleged that Governor Okorocha, on several occasions had treated them with disdain and contempt, calling them “professional beggars”, a matter they said, they have taken to God, whom they ceaselessly prayed to, for a regime change that brought Governor Okorocha to power, stating also that the Catholic Church did not even play a major role in the election of the governor. In furtherance, they cited the erstwhile Governor Ikedi Ohakim as a detribalized Imo Son, without traces of denominational mindedness, but regretted that if not for certain human weaknesses he could not manage, he would have been the best governor Imo State would have had.

            From the foregoing, it becomes obvious that the Imo State Government’s decision to make the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral a state monument is not in the best interest of the people of the state, since it is now creating division and not unity. As someone has said, “the pronouncement is a reckless religious action in a secular state, that is capable of tearing it apart, considering the animosity it has so far generated in the minds of the people”. But, the governor is said to be on a rescue mission, and as the writer thinks, has no intention to tear the state apart, but may have been wrongly advised, and so, this piece presents a humble suggestion, for the anomaly to be corrected. Once again, let the Imo State Government consider to build a neutral state monument, which the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Imo State Chapter, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Imo State Chapter, and other Christian religious associations or movements in the state would collectively endorse, instead of the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral, if a state monument is a priority. For, by so doing, religious harmony could be achieved in Imo State.

            In conclusion, please notice that the scriptural text of this work shows that while evil ranged in the land, certain false prophets propagated deceptive words that created a false idea that God would not destroy Jerusalem simply because of His dwelling place, the temple, was located there, and today, a similar notion may have instigated the drive to make the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral a state monument, probably in the supposition that that would attract the presence and favour of God. But, while the upsurge of societal ill(s) is witnessed in Imo State, Nigeria and other parts of the world, God’s desire is that the people be primarily called to repentance and not just the decoration of religious landmarks. READ JEREMIAH CHAPTER SEVEN.