GOVERNOR ROTIMI AMAECHI’S WILD CHASE OF THE PASTOR’S PROPHECY

Watching the manner in which Governor Rotimi Amaechi is channeling all his energy and strength towards the 2015 elections, one could be excused in thinking it was he, not General Muhammed Buhari and Professor Osinbajo, that was the presidential and vice presidential candidate. His goodluck rise to the executive seat in Rivers State, through the legal process and the belligerence he shows in his numerous showdowns with President Jonathan, has made him into a people’s champion. I have always been one of those that had seen Governor Amaechi as a hero of sorts and didn’t have many misgivings about him because I saw him as one of the better people in a bunch of bad people. I viewed his stubbornness as a needed trait to balance the dynamic of power within the PDP (the party that I belong and one that Governor Amaechi formerly belonged to). This is further amplified since both him and the president come from the same region.

My admiration for Governor Amaechi was fist tested sometime early in 2013, when the then ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) made a public statement decrying the grounding of the Rivers State Government's private aircraft by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as a glaring case of political witch-hunt.
 This happened in the wake of the political tussle between the Rivers Governor and the president over the Nigeria’s Governors Forum. The NCAA had, shortly after the disputed election of the NGF, banned Governor Amaechi’s aircraft from flying in Nigeria’s airspace, citing an expired clearance certificate, a failure on behalf of the pilot to file a flight manifest amongst other excuses. Even while it seemed that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority may have been getting themselves involved in playing politics and clutching at straws to indict the governor, for me, the issue that should have really been on the ACN’s and people’s minds was, why and how did Governor Amaechi own an aircraft in the first place? And, even if the aircraft belonged to the Rivers government, why, when and how did the Rivers State government procure the aircraft? Did the people of Rivers know and give their consent for the aircraft to be purchased in their name? Now, as Governor Amaechi gets ready to vacate the government house this year, if the aircraft is the property of the people of Rivers, will there be an official transfer to the next governor, even if the next governor doesn’t belong to governor Amaechi’s political party?

For ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria), at that time, to be castigating the government for grounding Governor Amaechi’s private plane, instead of condemning why funds meant for the betterment of people in the State and the infrastructural development of Rivers was looted by the Governor and used to buy an airplane in the first place, it shows an element of recklessness and insincerity in their alleged fight against corruption. Instead of ACN adding a complaint of an airplane that was likely bought with stolen money to their complaint of the airplane not being allowed to fly by the PDP, they turned a blind eye. Now that it has come to light that Governor Amaechi was in cahoots with the ACN to eventually join in the APC merger, their selective war against corruption is much more clear to Nigerians. As a result of their intended merger, the ACN choose to ignore Governor Amaechi’s action of shutting down the ACN office in Rivers State during the last elections and his suspension of the elected local government chairmen. It is hypocritical for ACN, which has merged with CPC and PDP remnants like Governor Amaechi to form APC to keep quiet about a policy which supports monies accruing to states being diverted to purchase private jets that benefit the governors only, the way that Governor Amaechi did and to present him as if he is a of model of virtue. With that action, the opposition party and its members exposed its true self to Nigerians. It exposed itself as a party that was in no way a better alternative to PDP, as it likes to regularly portray.

The aircraft affair was not the first time I felt an imagined falling out with the Rivers Governor but it was significant enough to open my eyes to the hypocritical kind of leader Governor Amaechi was. Since then, the numerous actions of Governor Amaechi have contributed in stripping him of dignity in the eyes of several of his admirers. With daily condemnations, bands of the media allegations and columns exposing some of his actions, it is clear to see that a time may have come when the hypocrisy of Governor Amaechi, a man once admired and lionized by hundreds of thousands of Nigerians, will be uncovered.
In a recent account, which may explain the die-hard and desperate method adopted by Governor Amaechi as the loudest member of the opposition, it is alleged that sometime before the 2007 elections, Governor Amaechi received a prophesy from a Pastor that he would become State Governor. At that time, as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, the prospect of Hon. Rotimi Amaechi becoming governor was quite remote. When the Supreme Court of Nigeria nullified the election of Celestine Omehia as the governor of Rivers and installed the, then, speaker of the House of Assembly, Rotimi Amaechi, the alleged prophesy of the claimed pastor came to pass. Many legal pundits back in 2007 opined that the Supreme Court had no constitutional or legal right to install someone, who never contested the gubernatorial election as the governor of Rivers State. It contradicted the jurisprudence of democracy and the Rule of Law in its very basic form. No one would have easily guessed that such an ending would unfold in the Rivers governorship saga. Therefore, for a Pastor to make the prediction that it would happen and it ends up happening, it would have come as a welcome surprise and incredible miracle for Governor Amaechi.

 If the account of the prophesy given by the Pastor is correct, then one could understand how much confidence and reliance Governor Amaechi would have on any future prophesy that this particular Pastor would make. It is supposedly believed that many of Governor Amaechi’s decisions and actions are dictated by the prophecies of the same Pastor that made the 2007 prediction.

 Recently, the same Pastor was purported to have prophesied to Governor Amaechi that the winner of the presidential elections of 2015 would be a Hausa-Fulani candidate from the North-West. Many who are aware of the allegations that several of Governor Amaechi’s actions are influenced by the Pastor’s predictions believe that this prediction is responsible for the vociferous opposition that Governor Amaechi is putting up in the lead up up to the general elections. Many believe that the Pastor’s prophesy explains why Governor Amaechi is throwing caution to the wind in his rabid support for his presidential candidate, because he is so convinced that a North Western presidential candidate will win against a South-southern candidate, based on that particular prophecy. It is purportedly as a result of this that Governor Amaechi speaks of setting up a parallel cabinet if he believes that the election is rigged. It is ostensibly because of this he makes statements that are considered as a threat to national security. Governor Amaechi speaks in the brash, careless, arrogant and crass way that he does because he is apparently convinced beyond a reasonable doubt, based on the prophesy, that a Hausa Fulani from the North West will win the election. In planning for his mutiny, parallel cabinet and encouraging violence in the country, did Governor Amaechi consider a scenario where his anointed candidate doesn’t win? He has supposedly put so much hope and sacrificed so much on this one prophecy, which he has no guarantee to be accurate, that he seems willing to wickedly push this country to war and violence should his perfect ending not happen in the 2015 elections.

 The alleged prophesies of the Pastor have not only been responsible in generating the present alleged reaction from Governor Amaechi, it is believed that the same Pastor’s prophecy was responsible for the dire manner in which the late Dora Akunyili battled for the Anambra Senatorial seat against Senator Chris Ngige. It is alleged that the Pastor prophesized that, an erstwhile information minister would certainly become a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This prophecy was said to be in relation to Dora Akunyili. Believing the prophesy to be accurate, the late Minister was believed to have been encouraged to fight for that Senatorial seat in a manner that was regarded as uncharacteristic of her demeanor. The usual audacious and confident minister, suddenly became erratic and boisterous as a result of the loss, and began exhibiting certain shocking behavior, which the minister was not known for. It is widely believed that the prophecy explains why she fought so hard believing that she would eventually get the seat, as foretold. Perhaps when the minister’s unshakable conviction on the Pastor’s prophecy did not materialize, it evoked such a shocking and intense behavior from her.

Despite priding herself as a very religious nation with about 90% of the population dividing themselves between Islam and Christianity, majority of those who profess to either religions, still practice rituals and the occult, and majority of our political elites indulge in such practices to get into political office; a practice which both religions downright forbids. They also lend themselves to above stated predictions made by spiritual leaders or shaman of sorts within their religious disciplines. Because of the sensitive role religion plays in our society and in our politics, which in most cases determines who becomes what, politicians and political office holders who practices such acts, always do so in secret, behind closed doors and in the cover of darkness. It is due to these beliefs and convictions that some politicians are driven to behave crazy, out of character and become unyielding in making sure their political aspirations come true. The way many believe Governor Amaechi is presently doing. They are willing to do anything, go to any length in ensuring that they secure the political positions of their choosing, even threaten the national security of their country.

 In fact, the actions and inactions of a lot of prominent politicians today are determined and dictated by ritualistic injunctions and prophecies by spiritualists and fortune-tellers within their religious houses of worship. Unfortunately however, leading this practice are prominent pastors, imams, marabouts, bokas, fake prophets, shamans and seers, who, operate under the guise of religion and spirituality.
In Nigerian politics over the years and hitherto, there has always been a mixture of indigenous religious rituals and occult across the political landscape. Often times we come across as a people that denounce a practice but resort to it when they need a way out of a particular problem or when they desire something badly. The influence of marabouts, shamans, fake pastors and spiritual-prophets on Nigeria’s political class is ever so glaring and without distinction. All manner of politicians, patronize these soothsayers and marabouts. From politicians vying for the highest political office in the land, to those seeking mediocre and lower level political offices, none is exempt as most of them seek divination, assurances and powers from these finagle and nefarious persons posing as instrument of God. Most of these supposed soothsayers prophesy or reveal as if by divine inspiration, future occurrences that would impact positively or negatively on the political future of the politician; making such predictions in an attempt to hoodwink such politicians. Even though in most cases the so called prophesies hardly materialize, it is amazing to discover that very few politicians are able to shun these soothsayers and be completely free from their firm control and grip. These politicians begin making every political decision on the basis of the predictions of the false prophet.
 These alleged prophecies and our politician’s reliance of them is not limited to a select few or to a certain region, it is supposedly very common and happens in all parts of Nigeria. In a similar, well-known instance, it is alleged that a Senator from a state in the North-Western part of the country, created on 27 May 1967, was also hoodwinked by a supposed seer; the Senator was supposedly beguiled by the seer that he was going to become the governor of the state. The senator, in his pursuit for such a post, went ahead to decamp from the political party that sponsored him in achieving the senatorial ticket of his constituency. The elections came and went with the seer’s prediction not coming true. Hence, the dream of becoming governor by the senator continues to remain only a seer’s prophecy. Furthermore, in the same state, a young seer also prophesied that an erstwhile deputy governor of the state would become governor. After fulfilling all the recommendations of the seer, including allegedly divorcing his wife, the prophecy is yet to come true for the erstwhile deputy governor.
Other such instances that have involved the more intense form of prophecy that involve rituals and the occult; are said to have been entwined with politics in this country. There was the well-publicized infamous alleged case of a former governor of a state in the South-Eastern region of the country, who had to take an oath in a shrine before he was accepted by his political godfather. Another well-known case was that of a sitting governor from a state, known as, God’s own state, who was photographed at the infamous Okija shrine seeking spiritual assistance.

 In the south-west, presently it has been reported in the news that ritual killings have witnessed an unprecedented increase leading up to the elections. Reports from the region have stated that it is not only herbalists and traditionalists that are involved in ritual killings as formally believed. Some witch-doctors, marabouts and prophets go as far as using human parts as sacrifice for politicians, businessmen and fraudsters, known as “yahoo boys”.
 With the general elections lurking around the corner, in the news, stories of police stations being over flooded with reports of missing persons are rife. Stories where a good number of the missing persons found where lifeless bodies, which had been dumped either on the roadsides, bush paths or inside gutters; mutilated and their vital organs removed are believed to be the handiwork of herbalists and false prophets probably in cahoots with desperate politicians who want to make sure prophecies come true and to win elections at all cost.
Even without the aspect of prophesies and black-magic sacrifice, as the elections draw closer, politicians are getting visibly more desperate; evident in the plethora of cross-carpeting of some politicians from one political party to another. The recently concluded questionable primaries in all of the parties, which have been plagued by controversies, have shown that most politicians are not necessarily vying for public office to impact positively on the lives of teeming Nigerians, but for front row access to the proverbial national cake, and the power and influence that comes with holding such positions in government. This quest for political power at all cost and by any means has stretched forth to politicians allegedly seeking victory as well as protection in elections from spiritual forces and sources, and by using ritualistic sacrifices, charms and various forms of occult practices.
 It is during this electioneering and politicking periods that often witnesses an increase in kidnappings and missing person’s cases. The levels at which some politicians are willing to go to get power is unprecedented, frightening and distasteful. Indeed ritualism and the occult have eaten deep into the fabric of the political and socio-economic lives of many Nigerians, particularly the political elites.
 An example of some of these unsavory occult practices I speak of came to fore a couple of days ago when a Lagos politician, belonging to the APC, the Chairman of Alimosho Olusola Israel Adekunle was videotaped performing a ritual naked. The video titled, ‘APC – A Satanic Party’ was posted on video-sharing website YouTube by ‘Archbishop Samson Mustapha Benjamin’, the General Overseer of Lagos based ministry Resurrection Praise Ministries International. In the video, Olusola is naked in a swampy area and at a point looks like he is sitting on a horse. He appeared to be repeating a chant spoken by what could have been a ritualist that included the words EFCC and Tinubu. Towards the end of the video, he pours a reddish liquid on himself, which the cleric describes as human blood. The pastor explained that, during the ritual, Olusola placed curses on political enemies and appealed for favor in the eyes of Bola Tinubu. In his comments, Bishop’ Benjamin alleges that the same ritual has been undertaken by all prominent members of APC. (See Olusola Israel Adekunle’s video:  http://www.freshgist.com.ng/video-hon-olusola-israel-adekunle-performing-rituals/).
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> No matter how we want to look at it, there is more than meets the eye with many of these desperate politicians. Even if Governor Amaechi’s alleged reliance on the said Pastor’s prophesy is not exactly in the same line as that of Olusola Israel Adekunle, it just shows the level of which politicians are willing to descend in order to capture power.
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> Now that we are counting the weeks to the general elections, the role of false prophets, fake and spiritual pastors, mallams, bokas, marabouts, in finagling and promoting uncharacteristic and desperate behaviors and unholy actions, leading to violence and mistrust among the polity, will probably take center stage. Hopefully Governor Amaechi will look at himself in the mirror, call himself to order and remember his initial calling as the people’s lucky hero, not as the man allegedly willing to forsake everything for an uncorroborated prediction. May he remember that the lives and fate of the millions that will suffer the consequence of his purported instigations for violence is worth much more than the fate of his yet to be determined prophecy.
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