When a society loses its values

Just exactly when there was a declaration by Christian religious leaders in Mbaise area of Imo State, Nigeria, to destroy the over 1,000 shrines in the area, and Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka reportedly saying that those that order the destruction of African religion and culture are true advocates of mental closure, fanatics and agents of terrorism, a pastor in Kenya was also reportedly found cheating on his wife with a policeman’s woman. According to the report, people of the Christian community did offer him no grace, especially because he was preaching in a crusade about adultery; they beat them both, put them naked and forced them to kiss in public. 

A public humiliation unleashed on a Kenyan pastor and and a policeman's wife caught in adultery

In an online forum I belong where the two reports were posted, one Chiwuikem decried the cutting of the shrines. In Chiwuikem's voice: "They cut down the big tree at Ahia Eke Amumara for no reason at all. This tree was well over 500 years old. Yes they cut it down. They did not plant another one in replacement. Midnight preachers, preachers of darkness, preaching without understanding, preaching foolishness, fear preaching pastors deceiving their followers. May God help us for they are the false prophets."

On the part of Nnanna, the shrines that the Christians cut down are cosmic guards, as old as humanity. He said: "Somehow they (Christians) realize those aged trees and shrines tape their movements and plots and make it easy for the law enforcement agents to apprehend hoodlums in their midst. But how foolish and short sighted they are: They are only cutting down wood. Spirit is indestructible!" 

It is imperative to say that quality character is not learnt in any religious organisation but it is an innate habit one forms with time because there is an axiom that says, experience comes by age. No matter how religious a child might be, the childish attributes that come with nature can never be lagging in the child. 

On the part of Enyimba 1, he sees what the kenyan pastor did as an act which is a heaven's case. Hear him: "Kenyans did not wait till this Pastor gets to heaven to receive his punishment." 

A forumer said that the Kenyans act was unfair to humanity... The forumer went further to say that, violence begets violence. That was the same reason Bakassi did not succeed in stopping evil and would never in Igboland. (Bakassi was a vigilante group). The same reason why Liberian peace could not be achieved by rebels. The same reason we have not had sustainable peace in DRC - instead more evils. When humans become beasts and barbaric instead of using reasons, critical thinking and human rationalizations to solve problems, then the glory of God does not shine. At this point humans become only emotions - no brain, darkness covers the people and they grope in further darkness. We may think the pastor and his mistress ONLY are being exposed. WE ALL ARE. When any human being is victimized, abused or treated in the most degrading way, the rest of the humanity reap the fruits of such evil.  If you have never sinned, or offended anyone (God or fellow humans), then you are free to justify what has been done to these fellow humans. The forumer went further, but I will be careful when I associate with you - because you are either not human or you are claiming to be an UFO.. 

Another forumer was astonished. "Ok, they caught them doing it. Bull!" Buttressing his point, the forumer went further: This group of people has indeed shown how much they need to be integrated into modernism. They are holding clubs and knives and marching them in the open. If this was happening in the Western world, some of these people will find themselves in court the next day for dabbling into other people's business. This same thing happened in Nairobi about two years ago. Who knows if this is not the same incident? Whatever the case, these people have no business beating the man and his "friend" up like that. 

"I am not advocating a man shafting another man's wife. Like Roy C. said, "A man cannot go any further than a woman lets him" (You know that song "SEX AND SOUL"). It was consentual sex. The lady is not crying tears and pointing fingers at rape," said the forumer. 

Ihed, another forumer dismissed the beating of the love birds by the Kenyans. He said: "The big issues are with their spouses. If their spouses espouse divorce and claim damages. then, so be it; than humiliating them in the face of world. He who has no sin, let him cast the first stone. Did the pastor commit hypocrisy? Yes! A man born of blood and flesh cannot be trusted to death. Even on the Pulpit, he is thinking with two heads -one on his shoulders and the other...? Of course, you know where!" 

Chiwuikem, didn't end in his first comment. This time, he sees the moral decadence on the society as the offshoot of human beings. 

"This is what happens to a society that has lost its values. What did the elders say? Is there any elder in that place? When this issue was brought to Jesus, did he prescribe this treatment? Are we reading the Bible with understanding? Do we even understand the teaching? Why Africa, WHY? In Nigeria, it is Child witches; in Ghana, it is grand mothers are witches, and now in Kenya - barbaric. Africa, what is happening to you?" 

But out rightly, Nnanna berated Chiwuikem. In Nnanna's words: "All of those sentiments condemning the Kenyans are pontifications and pretences in which Nigerians excel the rest of the world. The man and the woman whose adultery Jesus handled were not priests,  nor were they caught in the premises of the synagogue. Jesus asked her to go and sin no more. If Adam and Eve sinned and we inherited the sin, we also inherited that rebuke
by Jesus for the woman to go and sin no more! Repeating it is disobedience. Are Nigerians not clamouring that the accused be imprisoned without trial? Even as at this age, Nigerians are asking for ruthless leadership, crazy right? A nation, like Nigeria, whose clergy plots to kidnap during a Church service have no moral compunction to point a finger at other nations for the way they instil discipline in their society. All those pretences of "holy Nwedo" must stop! As at today, Nigerians are not better before God than those Kenyans." 

Reacting to Nnanna's opinion, Chiwuikem told Nnanna what was supposed to be done by an elder, which Nnanna is to Chiwuikem. 

"Dee Nnanna, as an elder you are supposed to know better. If she is your sister, would you prescribe this punishment? If she is related to you by marriage, would you have done her like this? Parade her full nude/naked in public. If she is your daughter would you support this barbaric behaviour? The government need to step in and imprison all those involved. This is inhuman. This is what people use to do to criminals in Mbaise many, many, too many years ago. We need to be civil, and let the court do their job. If the husband of this woman is not in support of her action, he can divorce her. If the wife of the "pastor man" doesn't like what the husband did, she can go to court and probably get "half". What concerned the people in this? As Christians, they should not judge ,  talk more of executing this kind of punishment. Why like this, Dee? WHY?" said Chiwuikem. 

As if it was a marathon of attacks on Chiwuikem, Madu asked him a few questions in support of Nnanna. Madu said: "Mazi Chiwuikem Ihediwa, is it good for a pastor to have sex with another man's wife? Yes or NO? What did the Ten Commandment say about this act by a pastor; the so called man of god? Don't act like a HOLY NWEJE here. A lot of things went wrong here. There is cause and effective relationship here. Are you saying that it is good for the man who called himself a "man of god" to do what he did with another man's wife because Jesus have carried all the Christian sins away with him to heaven? Aru eme! Tufiakwa!" 

In the words of Vin, "This is very barbaric. Unacceptable in any form. These people are bleeding. I did call Kenya Embassy to complain. The Lady at the switch board said that my call has been noted. There is no reason to JUSTIFY this beating. Because the man is a police and he pushed his wife out to the wolves who took advantage. These African police men are the same all over... Kenyans are more backwards than I thought. They have dis-appointed me indeed. Can we still do this in Nigeria? I hope not! The fight and disagreement will be internal but not to this extent. Being caught is very humiliating. Sent out to the public is a killer, then parading around the city naked? Hell no! Where were the other police men to give protection to the disadvantaged?" 

On the forum are those who believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ and those who still hold to the African perspective. Churlishing the former, a forumer said: "Behold the "Christianity" African pastors practice. Mrs. Oyibo Odinamadu, Noyo Edem, Chukwuemeka Okala, Ode Ara Igbo, Joe Attueyi, Zubbie Ekwueme...where are all the Nigerian Dead-Again Christians to come and testify in the name of Jesus? This is the LEVEL of BARBARISM to which Africa has been reduced!"

A public humiliation unleashed on a Kenyan pastor and and a policeman's wife caught in adultery

The Islamic belief was not left out of context in this raging debate. Enyimba added yet another voice. He said:  "Muslims are doing even the worst. Just Google "Militants stoned to death Somali rape victim." "Islamic Militants stone a man to death for adultery in Somali." There you will see Muslims dig a hole, put their fellow inside the hole half way and began to stone the man. It is a shameful thing what is happening in Africa in the 21st Century.  I am writing to Kenyan Embassy and the United Nations Human Rights. These countries in Africa have to stop these human degradation." 

Many of the forumers regretted the Christian and Muslim beliefs in Africa as the abetter of the anomalies that are being experienced on the continent in the recent times. One of the comments reads: "I did not realize that this is a competition about which of Nigeria's two imposed foreign religions does worse! "...Muslims are doing even worst", but Christians are doing just as bad too..." 

Succinctly, Dr. Valentine Ojo, Tall Timbers, MD, said, "Then in that case, I will remain an African, neither Christian nor Muslim!" 

Odimegwu Onwumere is a Poet/Author, Founder of Poet Against Child Abuse (PACA), Rivers State. Mobile: +2348032552855. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.