Beyond prayers

Sir, perhaps it is high time to tell Nigeria’s religious leaders who continually emphasize that prayers are needed as solutions to the country’s myriads of problems that even the Holy books make it abundantly clear that prayers without work is death.

If in the entire world, research is carried out to discover the most praying nation, the answer would be unmistakably Nigeria. Nigeria is endowed with so many religious leaders, especially in the Christian faith who engage their worshippers in unceasing rounds of prayers almost every day of the week.

Sometimes, highways are rendered impassable because of a crusade or another taking place and everyone is made to pass through excruciating pains just because some people are holding their prayers sessions and the only thing anyone who is not satisfied with it is to grumble in silence.

Most nights in Nigeria are for vigils and everyone, both members and non-members are forced to stay awake and then get to work the following day to sleep through supposed working hours part of which is responsible for the stagnancy in most businesses.

Ironically, with all the multi-point prayers that would not allow anyone any breathing space, wherever anyone turns in Nigeria, the first monster to be confronted is corruption which is manifested in different forms. The question then is what the whole essence of loud and disturbing prayers everywhere is when it is not associated with righteousness and the common trademark everywhere are bitterness and hatred. It is therefore time for religious leaders to start drumming it into the ears of their members that prayers are no more than mere loud noise pollution when people are never willing to change their way of life and embrace those conducts that can bring about rapid development to a country.
• Jide Oyewusi is coordinator of Ethics Watch International Lagos