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Re: ‘Who will save Nigeria?’

It saddens one’s heart to read that one of our quintessential intellectuals wanton in the intellectual catacomb to sell to us religious dogmatism

Sir: With due respect to our dear Professor Osisioma Nwolise, as an elderly Nigerian and intellectual, I would have ignored his article of May 12, 2020, titled: “Who will save Nigeria?” if the piece had been written by ordinary Nigerian. But sir, your article above is an embarrassment and travesty to the body of universal knowledge and (scholars) intellectuals.

It saddens one’s heart to read that one of our quintessential intellectuals wanton in the intellectual catacomb to sell to us religious dogmatism at a time we needed his intellectual advice. While Nwolise intellectual contemporaries in global academia are researching into the cure of coronavirus and using AI (Artificial Intelligence) to transform the world to amity, he ensconces himself in current African religious bondage to promote these gods of men in Nigeria. Wow! The retired professor’s interface between religion and knowledge acquisition doesn’t add up at all. The write-up is premised on religious bigotry and ethnocentrism—not born out of sincere patriotism. Nigeria is in serious trouble!

It is a travesty of an idea to inquisitors and literate minds for the eminent professor to espouse religious dogmatism for the consumption of the reading public. We are in deep trouble in Nigeria for the cesspool of religious indoctrination and dogmatism.

The Arab and western world that sold religious fundamentalism and prosperity gospel to Nigeria is moving at a great speed in Research and Development (R&D) with cutting-edge industries; and Science and Technology. Take an excursion to Israel or UAE or Saudi Arabia to see the unprecedented structural and mental developments ongoing in these regions. These countries hardly dwell on religious idiosyncrasies. Religion, politics, and tribalism are mutually exclusive in advanced countries. With our level of education, why are we still dwelling on western commodities and the subjugation of our potent minds? The opium and idiosyncrasies of religions in Nigeria have not spared or excluded anyone from the gullibility of religion. No matter the level of our education and experience, we are all in the cobwebs of ignorance.

The most painful side of our collective problems is the involvement of some of our renowned professors, doctors and other literati that supposed to know better and educate us on how to promote our mores, values and cultural heritage. Africans are the problems of Africa. We are all in the quandary of religion and blasphemy of pure God. The psychology of our gullible people in Nigeria is their deadliest enemy. Rewire the already wired psychology, everything shall be added unto it. Until that warped psychology is rewired for good, we will continue to see this kind of misunderstanding and assault to the body of wisdom and knowledge in Nigeria and Africa.

The mixed blessing is that the after-effects of COVID-19 induced sufferings have changed our orientation towards ignorance and other mundane things. While it is easy to hide (mis)information from many Nigerians, in the form of writings, I would have loved the article had questioned the abracadabra or veracity of these miracle pastors and imams ossifying the brains of their followers.

Yahaya Balogun wrote from Arizona, USA.

 

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