Shifting Responsibility to God

During the weekend that saw the death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar in bandit custody, a senior security official made a striking statement that seemed to shift responsibility onto a higher power. Minister of State for Defence Mohammed Bello Mutawalle was quoted in a BBC Hausa radio interview as saying, “only God can ultimately bring an end to Nigeria’s insecurity challenges.” He added the word “ultimately,” implying that while the final resolution rests with the Almighty, there are still actions that should be taken by those in authority before that point is reached.

Mutawalle is not the first Nigerian to attribute a national problem to divine intervention. In 1980, President Shehu Shagari nominated Alhaji Isa Kaita as chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau. When a senator asked Kaita how to tackle corruption, the statesman replied, “only God can solve the problem of corruption in Nigeria.” Newspapers highlighted this remark, but Kaita had also emphasized the importance of personal example, robust systems, careful selection of appointees, strict enforcement of rules, active supervision, and severe punishment for infractions.

U.S. President Harry Truman famously kept a small wooden sign on his Oval Office desk that read, “The Buck Stops Here.” Truman was frustrated by the tendency of officials at all levels of the federal government to pass responsibility to others, and he wanted to make it clear that the President bore ultimate accountability.

In addition to the tragedy involving General Abubakar, insecurity in Nigeria is being amplified by other incidents. Governor Seyi Makinde has reported that 39 students and seven teachers from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State remain held in the Old Oyo National Park. In Borno State, 42 school pupils were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in Mussa, Askira-Uba Local Government Area. Other kidnappings have been reported in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kwara, Niger, Kogi, and Taraba states.

Unlike Alhaji Isa Kaita, who outlined concrete steps that could be taken to combat corruption, Minister Mutawalle appears to have shifted the blame for insecurity onto various groups before ultimately blaming God. He has directed criticism at opposition politicians, accusing them of using insecurity to “incite people” and “portray the government as a failure” for their own political gain. He suggests that the opposition’s role is to point out government lapses, but he questions why they do not take responsibility for ending insecurity themselves.

During the Buhari administration, I once remarked in a meeting that in ancient Japan the Emperor was blamed for earthquakes. Malam Garba Shehu later misquoted me, implying that President Buhari should accept blame for earthquakes. I had actually been describing the historical belief that the Emperor, as the chief priest of the Shinto religion, was thought to be responsible for misfortunes. Nigeria has no national religion, and the Constitution prohibits a state religion, though it does vest the President with “all the Executive powers of the Federation.”

Returning to Minister Mutawalle, when the President appointed him to the Defence Ministry, did he explain that only God could solve insecurity? He was given a substantial salary, allowances, an armoured official car, a bullet‑proof helmet, and a retinue of military guards. He also received a spacious office with an ADC, personal and military assistants, staff officers, and even snipers. While visiting his home state of Zamfara, he was surrounded by a battalion of soldiers on the Funtua to Gusau highway and at his residence in Maradun. If only God can solve insecurity, what was the purpose of these soldiers?

Normally, I would not feature a fellow North‑West Nigerian in the press out of solidarity, but I feel compelled to speak up now. If I do not address this now, I may be unable to do so later when other ministers follow the same pattern of blaming God for their challenges. For five decades, we have blamed NEPA and its successors for limited power generation and distribution. Even a prominent politician once said we should not vote for him again if he fails to provide reliable power in his first term, yet we misquoting him because he was referring to solar power for the State House, which he has achieved. What if a new Power Minister declares that only God can provide electricity? In the current election season, some Muslim politicians have misquoted Quranic verse 3:26, suggesting that Allah gives power to whom He pleases, implying that electricity is a divine gift.

Meanwhile, a resurgence of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo could spread to other parts of Africa, including Nigeria. The last time Ebola reached Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan blamed “that crazy man Sawyer,” who brought the virus from Liberia and infected Dr. Adadevoh. If Ebola or COVID‑19 were to return, a top health official might again claim that only God has the solution. Yet Nigeria has historically produced its own responses, such as the 2014 salt‑water bath craze that was promoted as a cure for Ebola.

Soon, a top education official may claim that only God can solve the problem of out‑of‑school children, now estimated at 20 million. It is worth noting that itinerant Muslim clerics often take poor children from rural areas to cities for religious learning, only to release them into the streets to beg. These clerics, who should be closer to God, appear to be undermining His message. Countries like Cuba, Albania, the USSR, North Korea, and China achieved near‑100% literacy rates despite their ruling parties being atheistic and not believing in God. When a top official attempts to pass the buck to God, we should respond with a bucket of salt, not a pinch.