Okonjo-Iweala and Aso Villa Prayer Warriors By Simbo Olorunfemi

I do not know what Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala set out to achieve with her book,‘Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines’ but if it is to help repair the damage done to her image on account of her last stint in public service, I doubt that some of the excerpts from the book in the public domain will help in that regard.

Her own account:

"I was privileged that part of my daily routine was to join the President and his family and his few close friends in Christian fellowship and morning prayers in the Residential Complex of the Villa. It was a way to gain strength for each difficult day. The prayer normally began at 6am so by 5:45am every day..."

Prayer is the master-key, someone sings. But the Minister of Finance having to be a part of daily routine of prayers with the President at 6 a.m?

Was that really about the prayer or a yearning to be a part of a kitchen cabinet, masquerading as prayer warriors?

Madam had to be in a prayer session with the President on daily basis to gain strength for each difficult day?

How did someone who negotiated herself into a specially- created, all-powerful title "Coordinating Minister of the Economy" become someone who had to become a 'set-forth-at-dawn' prayer warrior to maintain her influence?

So important was the daily prayer session to the Minister that even when she was denied entry on the first day, she didn't shrug it off and move on to gaining strength for the day through other means. She had to come back over the next three days to face the 'humiliation' of being turned back at the gate?

Was it really about the prayer? She had to call one of the go-to men at that time, Mr. John Kenny Opara who promised to discuss this with the villa pastor so they could intercede on her behalf! What was it about this early-morning prayer that Madam Okonjo-Iweala had to be there?

And her presence was so important that for a daily routine which was only for the President, his family and his few close friends, the President would not notice the absence of this his 'close friend' for all of 3 days to be able to bring it up with her?

Could it be that the President knew that, as with a lot of these things, many of the prayer warriors were not necessarily there for the prayers, but for other things?

How did the all-powerful "Coordinating Minister of the Economy" become someone a Presidential aide would block her access simply for doing her duty? How petty can it get that she would be barred from a 'private' prayer session? How disorganised can the Villa be that protocol will be blatantly breached such that the MD of IMF usually accorded the Head of State status would be denied entry through the proper gate, just to spite Dr Okonjo-Iweala?

And Madam who knows about protocol, having once served as Foreign Affairs Minister, did not deem it fit to bring up this embarrassing breach of protocol with the President! She chose not to rock the boat?

To think that this incident reported by Madam happened in as early as 2011. So, how did she cope as Coordinating Minister of the Economy over the next 4 years? How did she cope without the daily prayer session?

Prayer warriors as palace courtiers

So influential have prayer warriors become, over the years, that Chaplains, Diviners and Alfas have become powerful men who opened doors of access to people in power.

Some do not even have official titles but they make things happen as powerful palace courtiers. Those who know, know them.

Who would have known that a Minister has to grovel to be a part of prayer sessions to be able to 'function'?

Power is good. Even for some who never let us forget how they were doing us a favour by opting for public service.

The things people have to put up with just to remain in office.

Who would have known that Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was also one of the Prayer Warriors?