Anayo Nwosu: If Only You Know What a President Of Nigeria Goes Through, You'll Be Compassionate

By Anayo M. Nwosu

I was amongst the congregation at the interdenominational christian service on 28th December 2016 to kick off the annual Ofala or coronation anniversary of my uncle, the traditional ruler of Nnewi, Igwe K.O.N Orizu. 

Clergy and laity of all the christian denominations in the town were in attendance for the service which was held at the palace square on which corners were dotted by many small shrines. 
The christians ignored the little distracting small god's structures our ancestors erected, which our Igwe didn't demolish despite his testimonial christian faith, as they prayed for peace in the town and longer life for the ruler who has spent 53 years on the throne and was over 91 years of age.

As the christians were hitting the heavens with their prayers, members of the traditional religion, the chief priests of all the deities in Nnewi, were busy at various locations offering sacrifices for peace and progress of the town.

Everybody is involved in the Igwe's annual Ofala festival.

The heathen would pour libations and draw signs on the ground with limestone chalk asking our ancestors and their deities to guide and protect our Igwe and to sustain peace in our time.

The witch doctors were not left out.

They came to the palace to pay homage and obeisance to their Igwe in their regalia, openly mouthing their incantations which were in consonance with the prayers of the christians; all supplicating to various celestial powers for the good of the town and its leaders.

All the deadly masquerades led by their native-doctor owners came to show allegiance and pay homage to the Igwe and were each given a fowl by the Igwe-in-council as a participating souvenir.

Seeing these and with further extrapolation plus insight, I came to understand the burden placed on the shoulders of a ruler of a multi religious, ethnic and economic country like Nigeria.

The president of Nigeria is the leader of all Nigerian citizens of all walks of life including the bad, the good and the ugly.

He is also the president of all the half-human half-spirit beings in his country.

Not all citizens are normal human beings. Some are of a different class or level.

This special class of citizens includes heads of devilish covens, principalities, witches and wizards, native doctors, chief priests of all Nigerian deities, altars and their acolytes, and all the numerous secret cults we have in this country.

While the normal human beings would book appointments to see the president and may never be allow to see him, this special class of citizens with ability to pass through human or structural checkpoints without hindrance or unnoticed could decide to appear to the president in a dream or crystallize by his bed side in the dead of the night or early in the morning to confer with him.

Why would they bother to subject themselves to the annoyingly laborious scrutiny of security agents and human toll collectors to see the president when they can disappear and appear at will?

If only the past presidents could speak up and say beyond what the observant Dr. Reuben Abati, the former President Jonathan's spokesman has managed to reveal to the surprised Nigerians who are not knowledgeable in the supernatural, not many would aspire to contest for the presidency.

The former occupants might have been warned at the risk of their lives not to spill the beans. And they have kept quiet.

But, I know what they went through.

These capable Nigerians upon appearing to expectedly trembling president would issue instructions on what they want done with actionable threats.

They might for instance, ask our president to release their members being prosecuted for corruption, to exonerate a corrupt aide, commute prison terms, or may request for certain concessionary approvals clearly against the president's convictions.

You should now understand what happened when your hero starts taking some decisions you deem out of sync with his campaign promises.

Don't mind the bravado in the morning, the president defecated in his pants a night before.

It is noteworthy that these special Nigerians have a stake in this country and have existential needs which could bother on absurd, but must be satisfied at all cost.

There is always a dire consequence for a stubborn president who attempts to dare these spiritually dangerous citizens who could afflict him with small small sicknesses like ulcers, blindness or even dumbness as an appetizer.

They may cast a spell on the members of president's of family or his aides.

Someone must be punished and it has to be a person very dear to the original target.

Any president who refuses to understand the complexity of the country and who shuts out a group of Nigerians from having access to him and presidential favours could draw the ire or vengeance of these supernatural citizens.

The half-human Nigerian citizens when provoked, could be deadly.

They have proven it on many occasions but the narratives of their plagues are usually twisted by associates or relatives of the victim president. The effects of the spells cast out of annoyance by these powerful citizens on their victim would be attributed to natural causes by paid news purveyors.

When these spiritually powerfulNigerians feel slighted or that their rights or entitlements are being denied, they could keep a ruler busy with sickness since they have no power to take his or her life, as such a power belongs to God alone.

These special country men and women may be justified in their approach as they have human and spiritual rights to exist and operate in Nigeria as human beings and as evil agents.

Such rights are inalienable.

Except in a theocracy, whereby a particular deity is proclaimed the owner of a defined geographical space, any attempt by a ruler to denigrate, ignore, discriminate against or estrange a group of persons or people with spiritual powers, is self destructive.

Even normal human beings go to war or use a gun if they feel marginalized or neglected not to talk of those who have evil missiles in their armory.

That's why in Nnewi, even though our traditional ruler is known to be a practicing christian, he is aware that he is also the king of all, including the pagans, atheists, agnostics and clearly mad people. To each person, he gives deserved attention and respect.

To all shades of humans, my Igwe gives equal care and access otherwise, he would harm himself and/or his family members.

Someone who wants to govern a state or Nigeria should be ready to give equal access to all that God has created and has allowed to exist in the Nigerian space.

No set of beings or a ruler can disenfranchise or exclude others and comfortably reign in peace and wellness.

The excluded would bare its/their fangs in self defense.

Unfortunately, nature supports self-preservation and pursuit of one's or group's interest.