23-1–2025.

The proposed National prayer at the National stadium, Abuja, the administrative capital of Nigeria, is going to be an exclusive affair. A cleric not invited is not welcome at the (arranged) event. And one should not agree with anybody who tells you otherwise. About 6,000 clerics and some traditional rulers across the country have been ‘invited’ to take part in the event. It was allegedly proposed and arranged by a leading traditional ruler in the country.

When news of an earlier prayer threatened to break the internet because of too much circulation, the office of the First Lady, Senator (Pastor) Remi Tinubu, quickly issued a press statement, signed by her Press Secretary denying that the number one woman in the country had asked for the convening of a national prayer. 

Many people in the corridors of power chipped in to deny that a national prayer had been called for. They claimed that everyone was free to offer their own prayer to the country without being told to do so, since there was satisfaction with the leadership in the country.

I also chipped in my contribution on the national prayer in an article I wrote at that time, (8-11-2024), titled ‘Of National Prayer’, which said, among other things that, “This is a very excellent idea. The prayer is not just for the selected and government-sympathetic clerics to offer, but everyone worried by the type of leadership that Nigeria is unfortunately saddled with. 

“Some of the Nigerians, living in the country, and those living abroad, thought it was the hight of inconsideration by the country’s ‘leaders’ to ask compatriots to pray for ease of the suffering in the country, when it was inflicted willingly by them. Many of them who admitted to being religious, noted their disdain for the leaders to ask for prayers while they continue to do that which they advise others against. 

“They live their lives to the fullest, while most of rest of the citizens have extreme poverty as their constant companion. But they ought to have seen this as an opportunity to redouble our prayers for God’s intercession in the affairs of Nigeria, not a condemnable ‘inconsideration’, since the leaders themselves gave the imprimatur for the prayer.

“Many compatriots witnessed the positive outcome of a government organised national prayer for peace in Nigeria, during the regime of a former military head of state. God, in His infinite mercy, answered the prayer more than was expected. Let everyone who feels things are terribly going horribly wrong in the country, pray for the betterment of Nigeria. 

“Those already engaged with prayers for a better nation, should redouble their efforts, as we keep urging the philanthropists among us, who feed multitudes of people daily, to do even more of the novel cause. In many mosques and churches, people have been praying for the country to get out of the hard times it is now in. The extremely hard times in the country call for more prayers, as the Tinubu administration vows to introduce more anti people economic policies, that would surely up the number of the poverty stricken people in the country”.

Now, the internet is being threatened again for another breakdown, as it is bombarded with the news of an impending  ‘with an invitation only Koranic Festival’ (as the organisers apostately call it)  at (again) the National stadium in Abuja for Muslim clerics and Muslim traditional rulers across the country. The prayer would be arranged for the National stadium by the Christian Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyson Wike, who also observed that it was inappropriate to name a Koranic recitation event as  ‘Koranic Festival’.

The Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, who is not an Islamic cleric, but a politician, objected to calling the gathering of the about 60,000 clerics and traditional rulers as TOTALLY wrong, as it amounts to belittling the words of Allah, referring to the meeting to recite the Holy Quran as a ‘festival, instead of something like ‘Koranic Conference’.

The invitation, this time, was extended to ‘government Muslim clerics, and the traditional rulers’, who would, no doubt, smile back home with tons of the VALUELESS Tinubu Naira, and many other goodies. But leaders of the prayer warriors, the kings and emirs would, for sure, get their ‘payment’ in US Dollars, amounting to more than what is going to be given to the others.

The value of the national currency, Naira, has drastically fallen from its before the rapid corruption (BRC) era of N770 to $1, to an all time low of N1,666.590 to $1, because of the present overwhelming corruption in Nigeria. The purpose of being in government during the rapid corruption (DRC) period, therefore would appear to be to massively amass billions of dollars (US) from the Commonwealth illegally.

Dan Bello, along with many others, has recently released a new video in which he alleges that some selected Muslim clerics have been invited to Abuja to recite the Holy Quran one million times. Many others, clerics and non clerics, have made exact same allegations in trending video clips. No denial yet from the hidden organisers.

Well, if they so like, let the organisers invite all speaking male Nigerians to Abuja for the special prayer, the citizens will not pray for a repeat of the poverty that is ravaging the country, as a result of the overbearing corruption that is forcing many people not finding what to eat for days.

Many no-to-corruption Islamic clerics, noted for their fierce criticism of the menace, were expectedly not invited.  Not surprising. Some of the men are (1) Malam Bello Yabo of Sokoto, (2) Malam Ibrahim Maqari, (3) Malam Murtala Asada of Sokoto, (4) Dr. Bashir of Alfurqan, Kano (5) Malam Aliyu Kaduna, (6) Malam Idris AbdulAziz of Bauchi, among some of them.

They were not invited because, as according to the organisers, the clerics “are anti government elements”.

But they are not the only Islamic preachers who abhor corruption and whoever considers it as the thing to do most of the time. In 2024, when the candidates were rounding off their various campaigns, a Kaduna state born Islamic cleric and preacher, warned Northerners against giving their votes to the All Progressives Party (APC) flag bearer, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His reason was that ‘any candidate who spent billions of naira to be elected into an office, must be preparing to recoup his money by means fair and foul. He added that there was no where in the Nigerian Constitution where money making by illegal means is allowed.

The sentiment was more or less agreed by a host of other anti corruption Muslim clerics, particularly the one who pointedly accused the leaders of the Islamic sects for not just participating in, but even agreed to lead, the ‘Quranic Festival’ in the Federal Capital. He accused them of trying to test the wrath of God, by subjecting the Holy Quran to a festival like a fashion parade.

My one time boss used to tell visiting Islamic clerics that their ‘fire is hotter because you know the truth but do not tell it to power”. Many clerics and traditional rulers often fail to tell truth to the political rules, for fear that they would be denied money and anything else they might have come for, and loosing their huge turbans, respectively.

We will end the article like we did the previous one on the same issue, “May God answer our prayers and provide a way out for Nigeria in Your immutable way”. Whoever is, or involved in, the problem, we pray to You to deal with them in Your own way.

Malumfashi wrote from Katsna.