Ministry of agriculture, prayers and sudden death

The federal ministry of agriculture and food security brought untold embarrassment and shame on Nigerians last week through an internal memo which summoned its senior staff members to “a solemn prayer session for God’s guidance and success in supporting the government’s efforts to achieve food security.” The memo, signed by Modupe Adedayo, director of human resources, stated that the three-day prayer sessions would be held on the 16th, 23rd, and 30th of June, between 12 noon and 12:30 p.m. each day at its conference hall at the headquarters in Abuja. Senior staff from the level of directors and below were directed to “come fasting,” without exception for any religion. It was, therefore, an interfaith initiative. The theme of the prayers was “Divine Intervention for Protection and National Development.” Interestingly, the permanent secretary and the minister were excluded from the sessions. I wonder why.

The document caused instant outrage, lighting up social media platforms with all sorts of responses. I was stunned and angry, wondering if this is the quality of human beings we employ in our bureaucracy. The idea of summoning all senior civil servants to pray for national development reflects how deeply religion has permeated the fabric of our government and how unaware we are of the fundamentals of nation-building. Those civil servants in the federal ministry of agriculture must be ignorant of the essential requirements for national development and economic advancement. They ought to be ashamed of themselves for wasting our national resources on unproductive ventures.

There are many development models which other nations have pursued successfully in the last 30 years and have achieved a quantum leap in GDP growth, poverty reduction, enhanced quality of life, increased life span of citizens, and increased productivity. Such nations have invested heavily in education, healthcare, food production, security, the rule of law, and other human development indices. They have successfully reduced the level of corruption, incompetence, and decadence in their public offices (and indeed the private sector).

China, India, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia are some of the Asian countries that have recorded tremendous economic advancement without their civil servants abandoning their duty posts for prayers. They are not even Christian countries, and China, for example, has abolished religion. Yet they have grown rapidly, and their citizens have enjoyed improved standards of living over the years, not through prayers, but by dint of hard work, honesty, dedication, and focus on national ethos. Why can’t our civil servants learn from what is working in other countries, instead of embarrassing the whole country with prayer sessions that have no bearing on the fundamental principles of economic development? Let me be frank: we shall never pray our way out of underdevelopment and poverty in Nigeria. No nation ever did.

By the end of last week, the ridiculous internal memo was circulating all over social media and had become the subject of jokes. The ministry and its leadership had become the butt of public ridicule, and the embarrassment was so massive that the ministry had to walk back on the memo. In a press statement issued last Saturday by the assistant director of information, Mr. Ezeaja Ikemefuna, the ministry noted that the prayer sessions were an initiative of the human resources department to address staff well-being, just like the already existing monthly aerobics and the establishment of a gymnasium in the ministry. The prayer sessions were not meant to pray for national development or food security, it said; rather, they were introduced to address recent cases of sudden deaths in the ministry. I think the Federal ministry of agriculture is suffering from a serious lack of human capacity in addressing its challenges.

In the first instance, prayers do not solve health challenges in a population. There’s a widespread misconception among many Nigerians that every problem can be solved through prayer. That’s why bystanders start to pray—some in tongues—when there’s a medical emergency such as sudden loss of consciousness. For example, instead of applying CPR to someone who loses consciousness, some Nigerians are likely to call for “holy water” to sprinkle on the person. You may disagree with me, but sprinkling holy water or waving a white handkerchief can’t help in a medical emergency.

God has given us medical science to help us deal with such situations. If the ministry of agriculture is facing cases of sudden death among its senior staff members, experienced medical specialists will tell you that the causes are likely cardiovascular illnesses (of which there are many types), respiratory problems, neurological conditions, or other medical issues. The solution is for each staff member to see a good medical doctor for comprehensive physical and medical examinations. The doctor will likely advise that sudden death can often be prevented or mitigated with prompt medical attention, lifestyle changes, and the management of underlying health conditions. Going for prayers during office hours to prevent heart failure is simply an act of ignorance. You are essentially praying for something God has already provided through medical knowledge and professionals.

But because Nigerians are very superstitious and obsessed with “supernatural forces” and what they call “generational curses,” there is a widespread belief that sudden deaths or other medical conditions are due to witchcraft, enemy attacks, Satan, or an envious colleague who is after your lucrative position. How often have you heard statements like, “Immediately I got my promotion, I started having attacks”? Superstitions are so deeply entrenched in our culture that even university professors, who should be fountains of knowledge, are regular customers of native doctors for protection. Young people, preoccupied with the urge to make money quickly, have taken to ritual killings, believing such practices bring wealth.

This practice is promoted by Pentecostal pastors who constantly preach about “enemy attacks,” infusing fear into their congregations and misleading them into believing that the “enemy” is always out to “attack” them. These deceptive and cunning pastors often claim that a death in the family is caused by one relative or another. Of course, traumatised family members fall victim to such tales. Similarly, instead of investing in preventive healthcare and overall lifestyle changes, senior civil servants are attending prayer sessions on Monday afternoons to ward off sudden death.

Actually, the practice of abandoning work for prayers is a regular feature in many government establishments across the country. But has it led to increased productivity, reduced corruption, or improved service delivery? I think not. In fact, abandoning official hours for prayer is tantamount to cheating the government—and God abhors it!

Let me be clear: I am not against prayers or personal religious activities. I am against government officials abandoning work for prayers. Prayer sessions should not take place during official hours or in government offices. China did not become the second-largest economy in the world by abandoning work to fast and pray. Additionally, prayers cannot replace medical advice or treatment. Cases of sudden death are medical problems and should be addressed by qualified and experienced medical specialists. The head of the civil service of the federation must issue clear and proper guidelines on health and religious activities during official hours.