Dr. Ade Abolurin, the Commandant General of Nigeria Security & Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) along with the Nigerian military and paramilitary Christians, held a prayer session recently to pray for Nigeria and the nation’s President, Goodluck Jonathan. The reported unity prayer took place in a public and government setting, the Civil Defense Academy in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
Given that this unity prayer occurred on public property, focused on national unity and the collective peace for all, a display of a face of religious interfaith, in a combined or parallel manner, would have had a more inclusive appearance in regard to seeking lasting intervention to our present security challenges.
The backwardness of this type of one-sided religious togetherness was even more apparent when all the following security agencies were present, namely the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air force, Nigerian Navy, State Security Service (SSS),National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Security & Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), and the Nigeria Prisons Service, Nigeria Customs, Vehicle Inspection Office, Federal Fire Services and Nigeria Police Force.
On a psychological and a deeper level, what does one think is going through the minds of other members of these agencies, both the trainees and those already serving, meaning the Muslims in particular? How does this type of one-sided national unity prayer promote understanding among security workers of Christian, Muslim and traditionalist faiths?
How do you win the battle of insecurity and distrust when you are praying for peace in a non-embracing manner?
A prayer like this not only further expands the bitter divide among our people, but it shows a religious conduct that fully hinders President Jonathan’s power to administer the country in a united way. If one really believes in the power of prayer to bring national peace into the country through the coming together of a body of security leaders, officers and rank and file; then a much more stronger prayer in a collective manner could have been better as it would pour down potential peace, openly and equally for the purpose of touching the souls of all God’s offspring and all of Allah’s children as well as for the collective good of the people in terms of restoring peace in the country from the current state of insecurity bedeviling our society?
Dr Oshodi is a Forensic and Clinical Psychologist and a former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Psychological Association.
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