I think Nigerians have been suffering from what I will love to call the Human Messiah Syndrome.

This syndrome may well have its roots in the early days of Nigeria, when foreign missionaries brought us the Bible and books; a scenario that was especially prevalent in the Eastern part of Nigeria. We praised and applauded them; while suffering and smiling at the hands of the same persons who dispensed the syndrome. If they were not considered ‘messiahs’ at the time, forgive my ignorance of the meaning of the word.

The syndrome took on a life of its own when the military decided enough was enough with the entrenched corruption of the political class! Kaduna Nzeogwu carried out the infamous ‘exercise Damis’ which stirred the hornet’s nest for what turned out a successful bloody coup.

Again we were witnessing the messianic complex at the hands of the Military government. Nigerians were happy and thought salvation was nigh upon us.

Little did we know that every man in Khaki just wanted to end up a messiah of some sort.

Fast track a bit and the Igbos were apparently taking the piss aka the wee wee. I mean, it was bad enough that they were educated, but filling every important position in the work force and extending this dominant prosperity streak to the northern part of the country? How dare they? No! Apparently, someone somewhere wasn’t happy about that.

Ahmadu Bello had this to say before he was soon put to the sword by our first messiah:

”Northerners first.” He thought the Igbos were power obsessed, sickening entrepreneurs and huge monopolists.

”Always trying to dominate”, he had said of the South easterners.

It is little wonder the Igbos are depicted as a bunch of greedy people till this day. Have Nigerians ignored the real question which is; Is it wrong to be ambitious? What are the real motives behind this stereotyping of the Igbos?

Anyway, back to the purpose of this messiah thing or whatever it is called these days.

If there was one true human messianic quality Ojukwu shared with Jesus, it was that both had very wealthy fathers.

They were rich and underestimated at some point in their lives.

Like, how could the Jews be completely oblivious of the truth staring them in the face? Jesus was the son of God. If only they all knew of His immense wealth and all the salvation he was capable of dispensing!

The same unfortunately could be said of Ojukwu. He went to the best schools, was well to do and for goodness sake, he was blessed with one of the most brilliant minds there was! For all of Ojukwu’s imposing physical presence, it must have been a tad trifling to the south easterner that all the military could come up with was tiny Gowon.

Ojukwu must have also thought that Gowon who was well beneath him on every plane and social index, wasn’t mentally imbued to deal with the massacre of many Igbos in the North. In stepped the human messiah in Ojukwu. A very wealthy and sensitive messiah at that as well! Who wouldn’t want that? After all, he was not after what was seen as Biafra’s untapped wealth. He was a man of means as it were; a fact that wasn’t lost on his people.

Here comes the tsunami. The thing is, even as a messiah, Jesus had a superior. One He was accountable to and occasionally drew strength from.

Which begs the question: who was Ojukwu’s?

In my opinion (well I’m sorry I have to leave the ‘we’ thing at this point. Let me talk and have my own say, biko), one cannot be a successful messiah without drawing inspiration and guidance from Joseph’s story. He too may have been something of a messiah to the Egyptians. A very attentive messiah who possessed excellent planning skills that saw the Egyptians pull through and survive the famine. Hmm, where was our messiah’s common sense in adequately planning ahead?

We were told in the Bible of how Jesus fed 5,000 people. Of course at some point he turned to God for supernatural supply, but one key factor to note is that he considered the welfare of the people as paramount. Joseph too was prepared for the famine; he stored the common, most basic need which is food. Our messiah led the Igbos out of the hands of Nigeria, where they would later drown in the red sea, something Moses didn’t dare do, well because he had supernatural supply and was answerable to God. So it was only fair God did not let all his gra gra turn to dust.

Ojukwu missed this crucial point. It was bad enough that he was not the actual messiah in the true sense of the word (so we think, I’m not admitting this alone, enough of my own opinions…LOL) but a human one! The least he could have done was have a superior. I swear the Igbos would not have judged him so harshly or deprive him of his moment in the sun! After all, what do grass-root Nigerians know about superiority?

It’s safe to say some people may have considered Jesus as not even the son of God, but God himself. He performed His earthly duties impeccably at grass-root level that some may have forgotten he was only but a son!

As you all know, other messiahs would soon follow after Ojukwu in Nigeria’s checkered history, but that is a story for another day. Of course I will address Buhari aka Saint Daddy B when the time is ripe (don’t even get me started here).

I mean, are you even kidding me? What is Nigerian politics without saints?

I can’t also resist the urge to make a final comparison between Jesus and Ojukwu. What’s the harm in trying? (God forgive me please, I’m only Nigerian).

As a true messiah, Christ indeed won souls for God while on earth. That was a major achievement. I’d like to think Ojukwu did that in a more aggressive way. Yes, by allowing his people drown in the red sea. People must have definitely been sent back to heaven during the war. Only thing is the redemption sermon was different. Nevertheless, the eternal purpose was brutally achieved. Now, if that is not a messiah, well, go ahead and judge me.

I will always criticise Ojukwu because of one simple reason: he’s really messed up my understanding of the word ‘messiah’; leaving it warped in my subconscious. I don’t quite know what to make of that word these days. A messiah does not run away from confrontation. You see, Christ ended up on the cross but Ojukwu ended up…wait for it…in another country on some self-imposed exile.

How do we balance this? (Yes, we. I can’t process this thought alone. Hahhahaha. I need your help, dammit!)

_______________________

Karibiba Amachree tweets via @Karibiba.

credit: ekekeee