It is important to wish Bishop Solomon Amanchukwu Amatu, the Catholic bishop of Okigwe in Imo State, a happy New Year; while expecting that he will also use the opportunity to resolve to change his attitude towards Nigerian politics, politicians and election riggers in Nigeria. It is also appropriate to call His Lordship to meditate on the following words-“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown” It is an age long saying which has stood the test of time and still stands to be contradicted as it refers to challenges of leadership and qualities of good leaders . Perhaps because of the enormous premium and the inherent nobility of “a crown” and its associated burdens: be it physical, social and moral, the rigour and painstaking efforts brought to bear in the search for leaders at various levels and systems are not the same with those of company managers.
Managers don’t wear crowns, leaders do! While management entails mainly the maintenance and enhancement of existing structures and systems to achieve organizational goals, leadership entails more of creation of new orders, systems and structures where most times they are non existent or not efficient. When management fails, most often money or other materials are lost. But when leaders fail, character is lost. Again, an essential quotable quote comes to mind- “when wealth is lost, nothing is lost, when health is lost something is lost; but when character is lost; everything is lost. Essentially, leaders take their followers to new level, be it socially, economically, politically or most importantly spiritually. A Catholic Bishop is a priest of priests, an outstanding leader of leaders. This is my knowledge of our bishops as a Catholic. Anyone so chosen by God to be the Shepherd of His people should endevour to be better than Ceaser’s wife and be above board. He should embrace the challenge of leading people to Jesus Christ, the truth, the way and life. That is the meaning of Bonus Pastor
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Dr Solomon Amatu , the Catholic bishop of Okigwe diocese in Imo State failed the test of real leadership recently, particularly that of a spiritual leader and a moral torchbearer who should show the light and proclaim the truth to all always, just like Jesus Christ whose Vicar he is to the Okigwe Catholic Community and beyond. He did this, when he, under the auspices of the Okigwe Catholic Diocese ,championed the secular and political jamboree called reception for Maurice Maduakolam Iwu, the garrulous professor of pharmacy who presided over the most controversial and worst election in human history as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday the 30th of November 2008.This was at a time when the controversies surrounding the elections had not been resolved, if ever they will be resolved.
The Supreme Court was yet to give its reputation sapping judgment at that time. The advertisement and goodwill messages from friends of Maurice Iwu flooded the media prior to event .The whole idea was annoying and offensive for a man who performed a national assignment carelessly. I felt it was one of those things; and praise-singing is a usual antic of Nigerian politicians, businessmen and public office seekers. Somehow we are used to it in this clime. However, I was visibly worried and pained that My Lord Spiritual; Bishop Solomon Amatu would succumb to the impulses of lower nature by issuing a statement in his name to the media proclaiming the event and the reason behind it. I was visibly shocked to realise from the papers, I read , that my Lord, the Bishop was chorusing the anthem of Professor Maurice Iwu in the following words, justifying the event He called Iwu “ ……a devout Catholic, for his service to humanity, humanness, love for the poor and unwavering willingness to selflessly offer help to others. The thanksgiving is primarily organized to thank God for the life of a man who has brought honour to the country first as a scientist and secondly as the chief electoral officer who guided the nation to achieving her first civilian to civilian transition.”
While I may not dispute the records of Iwu as a scientist according to the accolades the Bishop poured on him in his well publicized press statement; I am very much comfortable to assert that God in heaven knows and the Holy Spirit supports my position that the claims of Bishop Amatu on the 2007 Nigeria general election was not correct. I don’t know what led the cleric to this erroneous conclusion that 2007 election was the “least bloody in the history of Nigeria since 1959.” It is very sad that the devil is trying to exercise the audacity to distribute Holy Communion in the church of Jesus Christ. I condemn it because if had been done by leaders of other churches or religious groups, I would have done that. How can a catholic bishop organise a reception for a controversial figure like Maurice Iwu on the basis of the poorly conducted elections that its associated troubles have overwhelmed the judiciary to the extent that Archbishop John Onaiyekan, the President of Christian Association of Nigeria,(CAN) called for the nullification of the elections conducted in 2007.
Yes! Archbishop John Onaiyekan had insisted that “…heavens will not fall if the elections were cancelled and everything started afresh.” The catholic Archbishop of Abuja had also insisted that election riggers were worse than armed robbers. Beyond the position of Archbishop Onaiyekan on the matter, every Dick and Harry who wants to tell the truth knows that Iwu’s election was the worst rigged election in Nigeria. Different tribunals had said that; and tongue-lashed INEC for such a fraudulent exercise. Several elections have been nullified and some state governors, legislators and senators have been removed from office.
Bishop Felix Ajakaiye of Ekiti Catholic diocese had criticized Iwu’s conduct of the elections in an unequivocal manner in several articles he had written in the media, particularly that of THE SUN of 28th November 2008.Bishop Ajakaye said “…..In Nigeria, we must be practical about this. The era of do-or-die politics, courtesy of former President Obasanjo, has to give way to era of politics of ideas, actions and service. We need to overhaul our entire political system and release our country from the grip of the self-acclaimed politicians and opportunists, Nigeria must learn lots of lessons from the political system of the United States and be part of the new world order, change of attitude in all spheres of life. Unfortunately, Professor Maurice Iwu, the Independent National Electoral Commission boss was widely reported to have remarked that America should be the one to learn from Nigeria’s electoral process. This is a misnomer………”
Archbishop Anthony Obinna of Owerri Arch-Diocese had also threatened never to vote again in Nigerian elections if votes were not to be counted or if they would not even count. The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria after the elections through their President, Bishop Alaba Job of Ibadan Arch-diocese made the position of the conference known and up till today that remains the official position of the Catholic Church in Nigeria. The Justice, Development and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church in Nigeria monitored the elections and gave their reports to the fact that the exercise was marred by irregularities.
Therefore, in the light of the foregoing, one wonders where Bishop Solomon Amatu got his inspiration from to consider Iwu a hero of the Nigerian nation, thereby marketing the much-sought platform of the Catholic Church to politicians who used it to pontificate and spread their lies. This is against the wish of the Holy Spirit that guides the church. The Catholic Church has an outstanding record of telling the truth to power. The great John Paul 11 was considered as one of the strongest forces among the constellation of forces that brought down communism in his native Poland and the rest of Eastern Europe. The efforts of Latin American Catholic bishops and their exploits with liberation theology are legendary. Where did His Lordship Solomon Amatu get his motivation and information to promote the personality of Professor Maurice Iwu and the infamy inflicted on the country in the name of elections?
In Imo State, the Iwu family is reaping the fruits which their son Maurice Iwu laboured for in Abuja using the platform of INEC.His brother Cosmos Iwu is the Secretary to the Imo State government and several other Iwus are occupying different positions of authority and carting away juicy contracts in the State. That is the loot former President Obasanjo offered him for being a faithful accomplice in the fraud committed in 2007.If Bishop Amatu thinks he was expressing his personal conviction and faith in the manner of elections conducted by Iwu as part of his fundamental human rights, let it be made known to him that ,as a Catholic bishop he cannot express his personal opinion from the Cathedral .The position of a Catholic bishop is that of an elder who should show the ways of Jesus Christ to the flocks of Okigwe kept in his care .The ways of Jesus are nothing but the ways of truth ,light and not falsehood and darkness which Maurice Iwu ‘s fraudulent efforts represent.
The masses of Nigerian people are suffering today from unemployment, poor infrastructural facilities and hunger as a result of fraudulent elections over the years. How can a Catholic bishop of all people be a cheap tool in the promotion of injustice, robbery, oppression and suppression of the peoples will? The quality of Maurice Iwu’s elections and the poor leadership it has foisted on the nation at different levels cannot lead Nigeria to the promise land, because it is not in conformity with the prayers of the faithful and sermons said and preached respectfully by the laity and clergy of the Holy Roman Catholic church in Nigeria at every holy mass.
Let my Lord, Bishop Solomon Amatu realize that he committed an infradig and then use the New Year to subscribe to the change which Barrack Obama’s election in the United States of America has brought. The cardinal message of that change is that we can achieve our dreams of great nationhood if our votes are counted and if they count. In Maurice Iwu’s election in 2007, our votes were neither counted nor did they count. Praise-singing and greed for material wealth are not part of the character of the Catholic Church and therefore are not part of the laity’s expectations from their priest. If every institution in Nigeria now has been compromised as a result bribery and corruption; the Nigerian people should at least have the Church of Jesus Christ to look up to for truth and direction. Lord have mercy and may our blessed Mother Mary come to our aid!
Ugo Jim-Nwoko is a Catholic and a Political Scientist from
Umuchie Eziama
Ngor-Okpala
Imo State
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