Fr. Richard OMOLADE

Political maneuverings are all over the places again because elections are around the corner. Human beings are said to be political animals by nature. Politics has been described as the process by which a group of people arrive at a decisions affecting their lives, set rules and share power. Politics is much more than election, it is about governance, power and control and governance of everyday life in society. No wonder, politics is derived from the Greek word politiká, which refers to the “affairs of the city” following this description, everyone in the society should be interested in politics because people will make decisions that will affect everyone living in the society. If one reasonably abstains from getting involved in politics, decisions will still be made, power will still be shared and transferred from one person to other and unsavory people may be the recipients to the detriment of many in society.

In Nigeria, Christians often complain of being sidelined in politics, though this is probably the case in the North and in West, where Muslims hold greater grounds. The political landscape of |Nigeria shows that we have had a fair share of Christian leaders at the helm of affairs,  Azikiwe, Gowon, Obasanjo, Sonekan, Jonathan. What contributions have these leaders made to the Christian populace in Nigeria?  There are more than enough evidence to show that Muslims on the other hand continue to enjoy the largess of government, be that Government Christian or Muslim. These instances should not be used as an excuse to withdraw from Politics.  The art of involvement in the affairs of others is a delicate science and art and only the astute can navigate its treacherous waters. Christians, therefore, do themselves a great disservice when they leave the political platform to others especially Muslims. Christians often flood the airwaves and social media to comment passionately about politics. So, while they are not silent, they are nonetheless absent in the corridors of power and are therefore disadvantaged when the dividends of democracy are shared.

To remedy this state of affairs, Christians must be trained to participate actively in politics. Preaching does not cut it. Good will for God to intervene does not do it. Once we know people of good will and acceptable character, we must train and equip them to be able to survive the brutal tactics and tricks associated with politics. Other Christians must also be motivated to give maximum support to such candidate who has shown enough community spirit and appreciable political capital to serve the people. Let me say that I am not campaigning for a person just for religious leaning sake. Being a Christian is not enough, such a Christian politicians must prove himself worth of people’s support and this is possible only by showing adequate commitment to the common good instead of selfish interests. Christian politicians must be skilled statesmen and women molded by the Gospel of values for peace, justice and fair play. Politicians must be transparent in their dealing and accountable to the people. Their level of involvement should be shown in their capacity to uplift the people and improve their standard of living and generally in their level of phronesis, that is, their ability to make good decision in real life.

There is no gainsaying the fact that politics is a complex game. In the past we are wont to call it dirty game”. But this categorization is of no use to us. If Christians see politics as a complex game, maybe we will approach it with better dexterity than we have mustered in the past.  The dexterity needed to navigate the political jungle of Nigeria demands that we must understand the  presence of other people with varying and sometimes conflicting interests, such as Muslims, business men and women whose sole purpose is  maximization of profits and economic opportunities.

The greater complexity, however, is dealing with our religious differences in a climate of perpetual desire to dominate by one group or religion. This necessarily leads to angst that is always threatening to blow out every ounce of peace and development in the land. Ultimately, power is good and there is no harm in coveting it. Christians must however covet power not just to dominate others or exploit the resources of the land. Christians acquire power because it gives them the platform to serve their brothers and sisters, just as Christ did.

In the final analysis, do not leave your fate in the hands of unbelievers and rogues.  Do not allow to be fed peanuts when the whole garden has been entrusted to your care. The field of politics is there to be explored, do not leave it to gardeners who do not care for the beauty of life but for only the fruits they can pick up at harvest time.

Politics should translate to better life for the people but that is possible only if we allow the best of our kind to lead us and champion our cause. I believe there are enough Christians to raise the banner for us. Are you one of them?