Who Says God Is Not A Nigerian?

THE title of this piece came to me only recently, as I ponder over the state of our nation Nigeria and the wondrous role God has been playing in keeping us one over the years. Indeed, when you consider the abundant grace we have been enjoying in this country, when compared to other nations of the world, there are numerous reasons to say ‘thank you’ to God.

The examples abound. From the military coup of 1983, the June 12 1993 crisis, to the horrendous era that characterised the Abacha regime; from the divine intervention that led to the democratic dispensation that commenced in 1999, to the near-fatal recent 2015 national elections that saw the unseating of the PDP, one can see the silent but visible hand of God all the way; gently poking and leading us away from daggers drawn, even then rest of the world had prophesised doom. And so, I ask again, who says God is not a Nigerian?

As citizens of this great country, we have seen over the years how those placed in sensitive position of governance, rather than serve us diligently, turned us upside down and made us slaves in our own
land.

Our patience has been tested beyond limit and yet we have persevered. We have all watched as Boko Haram continues to devastate our land, sowing seed of tribal discord and hoping to set us on the path of another civil war. And just when they thought they had succeeded, God quelled the tension and opened our eyes to the reality and fact that bloodshed has never, and will never be the antidote to challenges of life, be they in families, in the social circles or even in the political spheres. We have since realised that meaningful dialogue remains the best tool of forging ahead.

Over the years, God has spoken and shown us that as a nation, we are special breeds, very dear to His heart, just like the Israelites of old. It is not by mere coincidence that He allowed Lord Lugard and his cohorts to bring us together in 1914 under ‘questionable circumstances’.

Even though we do not really see the justification for the odd union between the North and South, events of the years past, to the recent have shown that there can indeed be unity in diversity and that variety can truly be the spice of life. The recent past national elections brought to the fore so many reasons this country needed to remain one. We saw first-class manipulations by some selfish politicians who thrive in our divisiveness. But at the end, the wishes of a people united prevailed and God, in His infinite mercy, helped quell what would have turned out to be the bloodiest post-election result in the whole of Africa, and even beyond.
And now our prayers have been answered.

God has given us a new beginning. The wind of change is finally blowing. How are we going to make use of this new opportunity? Surely it cannot be business as usual.

Very Rev. Msgr. Osu, Director, Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos.