Controversial Nigerian activist and social media commentator VeryDarkMan has shared his thoughts on the relationship between religion, government accountability and the challenges facing Nigerians.
In a statement, VeryDarkMan argued that the government benefits when citizens focus heavily on religious solutions to problems that, in his view, should be addressed through effective governance.
He suggested that Nigerians often turn to churches and mosques to seek solutions to issues such as insecurity, unemployment, poor healthcare and other basic needs.
According to him, religious institutions can become a distraction from holding government officials accountable for addressing these challenges.
“So I Hear Them Say, ‘VeryDarkMan, Why Are You Sounding As If The Church Is The Problem Of Nigeria? You Should Go After The Government.’ You All Are Very Naive. The Nigerian Government Empowers Religion For a Reason. To Keep You Distracted And Prevent You From Holding Them Accountable. People Go To Churches And Mosques To Pray For Basic Needs. Bandits K!ll People In Benue And Jos, And Others Run To Churches To Pray For Protection. Your Relatives Are K!dnapped, And You Pray For Their Safe Return. You Don’t Have Jobs, So You Take Your CVs To Church And Pray For Employment. Poor People Get Sick With Malaria And Go To Church To Pray For Good Health. These Are Basic Things You Shouldn’t Have To Pray For. The Day You Stop Praying For These Basic Things Is The Day You Will Turn Against The Government And That’s Exactly What They Don’t Want.”
VeryDarkMan’s comments have drawn attention because of his long-running criticism of both government institutions and religious practices in Nigeria.
His argument centres on the view that while faith remains important to many Nigerians, citizens should also demand accountability from those responsible for providing security, employment opportunities, healthcare and other essential services.
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