Let me start by acknowledging the source of this picture. I first saw it on Sahara reporters, but it was from facebook where it is currently being circulated that I pulled it out. Guess this is what my mass communications roommate back in the university would describe as a candid shot. The photographer whether this picture was taken professionally or as leisure deserves credit and I so do give.
This picture tells a million tales. It summaries what religion has come to become in Nigeria. It is an indication that we have clearly plumbed the abyss of permissiveness. It’s a picture that shouldn’t just make us laugh but should make us hide our face in shame. It is a picture that shows that we now preoccupy ourselves in mocking God.
Writing on my blog and on this forum a while ago in a piece titled “Nigeria Men of God As Con-Artists (see www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/sylva-nze-ifedigbo/77.html , nzesylva.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/nigerian-men-of-god-as-con-artists/- ) I had attempted to draw attention to the obvious negative trends in modern day Christianity especially as is now prevalent in our country. Then, I had sounded it as clear as I could that Christianity was now a business venture with prayers at a cash and carry basis. Not a few holier than thou fellows filled my e-mail with scathing attacks on what blasphemy I had indulged in by daring to speak ill of men of God.
In that piece, I pointed to the rich, super star celebrity men of God who wore shinny suits whose price tags read like telephone numbers in choice boutiques in London, spoke with a cultivated accent (preferably American), rode in classy tinted glass four wheel rides, bought private jets, established universities, and had all sort of marital scandals.
This group who went by names such as General Overseer, chief shepherd, founding Bishop and the likes sustained themselves and their high standard of living on the generosity of their congregation after cajoling them with sermons that tells them to part with more and more of their hard earned income in the form of tithes, seed sowing, donations and thanksgivings which was expected to win them more blessings from God. The God of riches.
Just like in every business line, there are the high players and the under dogs. The picture shows us a different group of men of God, the ones at the lower sections of the ladder. The ones who have to actually fix prices for their work. The ones who operate from batchers and shanties in the slum-like part of town, fighting their own poverty by taking advantage of their gullible poor congregation.
Here we see an advert board which is in itself a study in advertisement as a tool in business. The letterings and graphics are nothing to write home about. The spellings leave you wondering how the man of god gets to read the English bible. The message on the board produces a peppering sensation in your lower abdomen. You wind up asking yourself; have we gotten to this level?
It Is interesting to note that in “Holy Japhet Munistry (ministry)” there is a clear difference between “special prayers” and “ordinary prayers”. It also cost more to carry out “anointing” than “baptism”. Deliverance sessions are a very expensive exercise. Perhaps the man of god needs to prepare adequately for it and that might require buying some extra materials hence the extra cost. Generally shaa, Donations are happily received any time, any day. Every day is as stated “for Gods work”.
Need I say more?, the picture says it all. I only hope governor Fashola is taking note. These men of God, whether of the super star class or the likes of holy Japhet Munistry, should be paying tax on the revenue they generate.
Sylva Nze ifedigbo
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });