President Bola Tinubu is a co-founder of the All Progressives Congress, APC, a political party which challenged for leadership on the mantra of “Change”. It was given the mandate to replace the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2015.

A former Minister of State for Finance under the PDP rule, Bashir Yuguda, was tried along with former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki and others, over the alleged diversion of N4.6bn to “organise prayers for Nigeria”. Yuguda has since joined the APC. Tinubu’s government has continued to indulge in wasteful spending on religious activities in the forlorn hope that they will help in solving Nigeria’s challenges.

Earlier this year, the president authorised the release of N90bn for “Hajj subsidies” without the National Assembly’s approval. Despite condemnations following that, the wife of the president, Oluremi Tinubu and the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, are spearheading what they call a national prayer session in conjunction with Christian and Muslim clerics, at public expense. The event themed: “Seeking the Intervention of God in Nigeria’s Affairs”, will last for a week.

The continued involvement of our governments in the affairs of these two imported religions runs contrary to the constitutional claim that Nigeria has no state religion. Religion is supposed to be a personal relationship between individuals and God or whatever they worship. There is no proof that the heavy involvement of government in religion has yielded any positive fruits. China is a Communist country that does not indulge in religion, yet it is the second wealthiest nation of the world.

Nigerian leaders have been rightly accused of using religion and ethnicity as instruments to hoodwink the people to win and maintain power. They are also mocked for practising “religion without God”. People who are culpable for ethnic profiling and fraying the fabric of our national unity through extreme nepotism can deign to pray for God to repair damage!

People who are splurging on the nation’s resources while grinding the masses in the dust of hunger, hardship, insecurity, and oppression of juvenile protesters believe that prayers will bring for them what patriotism and good governance brings in other, saner climes.

Enough of this religious charade!

If we want unity, we must encourage Nigerians to see one another as people of the same family. We must not corner the nation’s high offices and resources for our ethnic and religious acolytes, depriving other Nigerians of their right. If we want security, we must regain the confidence of Nigerians and work with them to flush out the insurgents, terrorists, armed herdsmen and bandits.

We need good policies and competent hands, not prayers, to revive the economy. Our leaders must lead by example. Nigerian politicians should stop mocking God and the masses with religion.

There are karmic consequences for such actions. (Vanguard Editorial)