PRAYERISM AS A PANACEA FOR RESOLVING INSECURITY?

The discussions over the effectiveness of prayer as panacea for the resolution of serious national challenges is very controversial.

It is such a difficult subject matter that always put wedges of passionate argumentations between and amongst believers and nonbelievers alike.

Most believers understanding of the power of prayer as panacea for the resolution of spiritual and material challenges of life is predicated on religious, metaphysical dogma, while on the other hand nonbelievers rely on reasoning, logical empiricism or verifiability in terms of linkages of cause and effect. 

In a society with divergent views on the power of prayer like our geopolitical space, it would be disingenuous to on its face value write off, or accept whatever claims presented by any of the group.

However, my experience as a Nigerian with longstanding observation of the policies, programmes, and administrative organising within the geopolitics of Nigeria, I do have doubts about the power of prayer in national development. 

Newspapers reported recently that our first lady called for national prayer for the eradication of banditry, kidnapping, which are all symptoms of grand insecurity rampaging the nation.

Good idea would be the chorus from religious perspective. 

However, I am worried about such subjective, theoretical deduction, an appeal to national prayer in resolving the issue of insecurity or the lack of security in Nigeria is an exercise to nothingness. 

This is not the first time that this kind of doctrinal believe in the efficacy of prayer has been proposed in resolving physical, material issue of governance. "Prayerism" has been presented to us by previous administrations under the influence of the National Security Adviser #Dasukigate or #Bafarawagate.

Most recently, the chief of army staff Buratai came up with the Nigeria Army special prayer session to help them conquer the insurgents. 

All these prayer sessions have not delivered peace nor end to the insecurity bedeviling the nation. 

Massively, funds are appropriated for these prayer sessions with no commensurate dividends in the nature of peace and orderliness in the nation, rather, funds so appropriated were going into the pockets of Marabout, Priests, Imams, and Sheiks.

I am not absolutely denying the need for prayer, especially in a society like ours wherein religiousness, impregnated with dogma has become, somehow, official philosophy for winning war against insurgency. However, the little window I leave for those propagating such prayerism is basically psychological fulfilment that such prayer sessions might have on believers.

It is noteworthy to emphasis here, that it is baffling to see notable persons buying into such ridiculousness. I have never heard of nations winning wars or overcoming insurgency via "Prayerism" or prostrating pouring libation in the name of the Quran or Bible to overcome national challenges. 

My hunch is that these are the people who would eventually derive financial benefit from such national prayer sessions since praying for the end of national insecurity is now a multi billion Naira business enterprise. Our recent antecedents on this trajectory supported my reasoning.

PLEASE TELL OUR FIRST LADY THAT PRAYER IS NEVER AN INSTRUMENTALITY FOR WINNING WARS OR CONQUERING INSURGENCY SPONSORED BY POWERFUL PEOPLE IN NIGERIA.

What we need is good governance, incorporating justice, and fairness.