Renowned Catholic Priest Holds Closed Door Meeting With Nigeria's President

Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka, a well known catholic priest and the spiritual director of the Adoration Ministries Enugu Nigeria (with the bacronym A.M.E.N.) visited Aso Rock Villa, Nigeria's seat of power, and held a closed door meeting with president Buhari, and vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.

Fr Mbaka reportedly prayed for the president and the nation, and after the meeting, told the press that Nigeria's present situation was a seasonal thing, while promising that the season of plenty would soon be upon the country. He compared Nigeria to king David and quoted verses from the book of Samuel to highlight David's god-given success.

Fr Mbaka hobnobbed with former president Goodluck Jonathan, whose wife, Patience, even visited the priest in Enugu after Jonathan declared his intention to run for re-election. But things soured between the priest and the presidential couple leading Fr Mbaka to predict that Jonathan would lose to Buhari. Well, his 'prophecy' came true, and Mrs Buhari even visited Fr Mbaka early last month while she was in Enugu for a state function.

Fr Mbaka is playing to the gallery like his prosperity preaching counterparts in assuring Nigerians that the country's dire situation will improve tremendously as a result of prayers. Prayers do not make a nation great. it is as simple as that. Those steering Nigeria's rudderless ship have no idea what it takes to make a nation great, and the average Nigerian, with a culture of low expectation, is unable to hold those in power to account. Nigeria's leaders thus have it easy, in the sense that their electorate do not expect much from them, and they do not disappoint; they make the smallest deed seem mighty, and expect the loudest ovation for the minutest of actions. They are also given the liberty to steal billions of state funds which they do with glee, which is why Nigeria is today collapsing under its own weight because virtually nothing works.

The religious leaders to whom the people turn, after their governments have so callously failed them, fleece them to fund lives of opulence. The Nigerian is caught between a rock and a hard place, and is continually being asked to pray (by politicians and preachers) to remedy situations which were caused by the very human factors I mentioned above. Nigerians can continue to pray, while their political and religious leaders feed fat on state resources; I can assure them that those prayers will never be answered.