Before the “age of enlightenment”, spiritual gurus were in control of Western nations. They influenced and manipulated Queens, Emperors, Czars, top politicians, and security agents. They were consulted before major decisions were taken, and their approvals and disapprovals were seen as divine.

Questioning their prophecies could result in ostracism, financial ruin, imprisonment and sometimes death. But their prophecies and predictions didn’t transform Western nations into political and economic giants.
In every Nigeria election, the spiritual gurus come up with their prophecies. Before the 1999 election, a general overseer of one of the biggest churches in Port Harcourt, along Rumuomoi road, claimed that God told him to inform everyone to vote for Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Peter Odili as president of Nigeria and governor of Rivers State respectively.

According to him, God chose them because they were born-again, and through them, Nigeria and Rivers State would be great again. He said that poverty would be eradicated. And he warned people not to incur the wrought of God by voting for other candidates that God did not choose.

Did the eight years of Chief Odili and Gen. Obasanjo eradicated poverty in Rivers State or Nigeria?

On the 18th of January, 2013, tens of bodies were found floating on Ezu River by villagers. It was like a battle field, and the names of the casualties remain unknown. Two year later, it has remained a mystery. What happen to the spiritual gurus that claim they see events before they happen? How come they didn't see such a horrendous event, and two years later, none of them has been able to unravel the mystery of Ezu River?

None of the spiritual gurus predicted the kidnapping of the Chibok girls, and could not tell their locations eleven months after their kidnapping. They have not been able to predict where the next bomb blast will take place, or the next location of BokoHaram members, so that terrorist attacks would be averted.

As general election looms, they have crawled out of their woodworks, telling Nigerians who gods have chosen to occupy various political positions from Local to National levels. Even the oracles in China and India have joined the bandwagon of prophesies.

These spiritual gurus apportion to themselves various titles - Man of God, General Overseer, Guru, Chief Imam, Baba, Servant of the Most High God, etc. They arrogate to themselves the power to hear from gods, speak for gods, act for gods, and even kill for gods ( like Reverend King who is still in jail for murder). I prefer to call them spiritual gurus.

Some of them behave like Pastor Uka, a character in Okey Ndebe’s novel, Foreign Gods Incorporated, Who manipulates his congregation into believing that anything he says come from God, and should not be questioned, thereby exploiting them psychologically and financially.

In order to achieve this they sound absolutely sincere. Even when some of them make senseless prophecies, many stubbornly believe that adherence to such prophecies will guarantee better future for them. And if they ignore their prophecies, they are doomed, and even the society will descend into some apocalyptic Mad Max scenario ruled by chaos and violence.

It is disturbing that 54 years after gaining independence, many Nigerians still look up to these spiritual gurus to tell them who to vote for. Few weeks to presidential election, some of the spiritual gurus have prophesized victory for Gen. Buhari and endorsed him, while some have gone for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

The problem is not that they endorsed the candidates of their choices; it is their fundamental human right to do so. But many of them claimed that "God", "Allah", “Oracle” or “Holy Spirit” endorsed the candidates, not them. And they have convinced thousands, or millions of their followers to vote for these"God chosen candidates".

If God had been choosing political leaders in Nigeria, how come they are so corrupt, and the masses are suffering? Could it be that the spiritual gurus are manipulating and deceiving the masses?

I asked one of them why God has refused to reveal the locations of the Chibok girls to his self-acclaimed servants, and his response was: “God moves in a mysterious way, sometimes He does certain things for his name to be glorified." This response is one of the biggest challenges to spirituality and religion. There is always possibility of fraud and deceit because everything is subjective and “mysterious”, and logic has no place in them. That is why it is also the most profitable business, because the products they sell are invisible - miracles, prophecies, and "hopes". Many people that buy them spend their entire lives living a lie, one that is staunchly held to.

Since the Western nations stopped relying on spiritual gurus and prophecies they have made meaningful progress in solving their social, economic and political problems. This has been achieved through reasoning, critical thinking, debates, science, innovations, inventions and freethought. These are hallmarks of a progressive society. Through them they choose their leaders who have convinced them by unveiling their manifestos.

Since gods and their servants have not been able to solve the problems of Nigeria since it was created by the British Government, it is time for Nigerians to say goodbye to them, just like many western nations did some centuries ago. And open the doors to critical thinking, freethought and debates in their political landscape.

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