ARE TRADITIONAL AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN SUPPORT OF THE MASSES?

By Shehu Mustapha Chaji
shehuchaji@yahoo.com

Among community leaders in Nigeria, the traditional and religious leaders do receive special respect from the people as they are regarded as fathers of the society. They are regarded as burning candles that show the way on how the society should live based on their forms of belief. Also it is their duty on commanding the community on performance of good deeds and forbidding them to commit what is unlawful.

Masses had a very special regards and respect for traditional and religious leaders as they believed that they would never support and encourage any issue that will harm their ways of life. But unfortunately, recently some of them have reversed and changed their attitude by becoming errand boys of those in power and moneybags. It is an open secret today that many of them have joined the club and convoy of the ruling class or always in total support of any government in power.

Clerics as religious leaders all over the world are known to be on the side of justice ,truth, equity and accountability, and they also preach to their followers to be on the side of truth and justice. They are steadfast as they are never afraid to say the truth and side with justice no matter how bitter it is. Also they never collaborate with oppressors, tyrants, looters and ungodly leaders. Religious history books are full of narrations of how God fearing clerics fought against injustice, tyranny and suppression. Some of them had even led their countries in the fight against uprooting tyrants, oppressors and stooges from power. They are actively involved in the fight against all forms of injustice and discrimination against their people and even in the forefront in the struggle for democratic governance.

Even during our present times we saw or heard of religious leaders that have led their people to defeat tyranny and oppression, and those that were persecuted and jailed or were forced to exile or even killed for saying and siding with the truth and justice by some few individuals who have control of the government machinery.

Today, before our own eyes, some Clerics have changed the meanings and interpretations of their Holy Books to suit the intrest of political leaders so that they could smile back to their banks. What is happening today is that if you force your way corruptly to power through massively rigged election, they will say God gave you the power! If you loot from the treasury they will say God has enriched you !! If you implement policies against the wishes of the people, they will say God said you should be followed!!! Also you will find these Clerics on their ways to government houses federal, state and local or in the homes of those that all knows how they amass their wealth.

Am not saying that it is an offence for traditional and religious leaders to relate with the political and ruling class, but what is happening always is that they don't inform the ruling class the real condition of the masses and the country. Masses are really suffering due to lack of infrastructures. But the traditional and religious leaders never speak up and always pretend as if everything is moving smoothly. Whenever they speak it is on the masses to always live peacefully and abide by the laws without speaking out to the ruling class to rule with justice and equity.

It can't be denied that traditional and religious leaders have special prestige in Nigeria. Is it that the prestige they have is not enough that they have to be errands of the political class? And are there any worldly materials they lacked that led them to be boot licker of the political class? Are they aware that masses can now dictate their personal intrest when they propagate it as religious injuctions? Are they of the opinion that being errand and cohorts for those in power is the only avenue to protect their seats and gain influence? And when will they seek respect for themselves as true leaders of the society and people stop calling them agents of whoever is in power?

Traditional and religious leaders are those leaders that the masses tend to have good opinion about as they provide guidance and protect their rights when the need arises. Is it not a betrayal that these leaders tend to be more concerned about their own personal interests? Don’t they think that the masses can have a very bad opinion about them?

The history of many countries of this world is full of roles played by Kings and the Clergy. Why is it that today in some parts of the world they tend to play little or no role in such countries today? The answer is clear as these leaders par take in the exploitation and tyranny against their own people and when change arrived those countries they were not spared. And that is the reason why in some countries there are no traces of traditional rulers and the religious leaders lose their prestige and power of commanding the good and forbidding evil.

Where are those traditional rulers that have supported election riggers into power? The history of our country is replete with how those helped to hold onto power illegitimately repay their benefactors? Also religious leaders that sided with the authority against the wish and aspirations of their people tend to lose respect and dignity as they are viewed as agents and cohorts of those in power.

Respect and prestige will be more for traditional and religious leaders if they side with the masses. And they should have the principle of advising the ruling class truthfully, and informing them of how life of the common man can be improved and stoppage of all government policies that are anti-people. And if they happen to visit government houses from federal to local government it should be for the intrest of the masses not to seek for contracts, royalties and political appointments for themselves and families. Also they should be bold enough to say the truth to the ruling class as they can say it to the masses. They should be in the forefront in any struggle to resist government policies that are unpopular such as increase in petroleum products but not the NLC!

God fearing and purposeful leadership is loved by people. Any leader that loots either before or now should not be seen associating with traditional and religious leaders as such association increases the continuation of corruption as future leaders can always think that if they loot and share the loot through building places or worship and obtaining traditional titles they will be respected and escape justice. Traditional and religious leaders should reciprocate to the masses the same way they hold them in esteem; anything short of this could lead to anarchy as it will be unfortunate if they call people to order and no one listens to them, then who will provide guidance to the society?