THE TEXT OF A HOMILY ON THE OCCASION OF THE INAUGURAL THANKSGIVING MASS FOR THE NEW ADMINISTRATION TO BE LED BY REV FR HYACINTH ALIA ON 28TH MAY, 2023 AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP CATHEDRAL, MAKURDI
BY
MOST REV ISAAC BUNDEPUUN DUGU
(Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Katsina-Ala)
Greetings
May the grace and peace of God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (Eph.1:1), abide with you both now and forever, Amen. I invoke the same blessings upon our beloved Benue State, the new administration and its leadership. May God continue to manifest his glory in our lives and in the work we do. May he bless and enrich your families in the abundance of His peace and favours. Amen.
In my homily of 4th May, 2023 at the occasion of the 20th Episcopal anniversary of Most Rev Michael APOCHI, I did say, When we celebrate and offer thanks to God, the temptation is always to pay more attention on the areas of our successes. This should not always be the case. It is instructive to pay attention also to the numerous moments of frustrations, disappointments, insults, betrayals, pain, sleepless nights. Todayโs Mass of thanksgiving calls to mind the story of our journey as people of Benue State. It is a thanksgiving of our common success and struggles as a people. It is not exclusively about the victory at the recently concluded polls that ushered in the soon to be inaugurated government. It is more about our gratitude to God for the gift of our State and also for the great achievements of the past administrations at the state and local government levels. It is a thanksgiving for the good things we expect to see in this new administration.
I warmly greet the Governor-Elect, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem ALIA, the religious leaders here present, headed by the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) Benue Chapter, Most Rev. Wilfred ANAGBE, CMF, in whose name I celebrate this Mass.
I respectfully greet our two First Class Chiefs, Your Royal Majesties Prof James Ortese AYATSE, the Tor Tiv and Dr John ELAIGWU, the Ochidoma, respectively. I also acknowledge the entire Benue State Traditional Council. It is an obvious fact that the State, the Church and the traditional institution constitute the tripod that holds the soul of Benue State. I also welcome all the sons and daughters of Benue State who out of their crowded schedules have come to be a part of this inaugural Mass.
This thanksgiving Mass ushering in the new administration and coinciding with the feast of Pentecost is definitely not only apt but providential as well as appropriate. The Gospel of Matthew 6:33 says, seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all things shall be added unto youโ. Again Psalm 127:1 says, Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, in vain does its guard keep watch. Therefore, inspired by these biblical injunctions, I hereby beseech God to lay a solid foundation for this administration, effective, 29th May, 2023.
Prayer Intentions
I pray God to bless us all and grant that all the activities of the new Government at all levels, namely; the state, as well as the local government, by extension also, the three tiers of government: the executive, the judiciary and the legislature may be inspired by the Holy Spirit, which we have received today. May you be guided by the spirit of justice, fairness and equity in your policies and programs for the integral development of the people of Benue State.
It is to be acknowledged that where there is justice and equity, development thrives, peace and love reign as well. There is also an undeniable and indispensable chain of collaboration between the government, the Church and the traditional institution. May this collaboration not only be deepened, sustained and enhanced but also remain objective, sincere and open in the best possible manner. As a Church and on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of the Benue, I make old to say, that the Catholic Bishops of the Benue have put at the disposal of the incoming administration, her structures, organs for effective and sustainable collaboration in areas of education, healthcare services, among others, when and where needed.
Feast of Pentecost
Today, we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. Pentecost means 50; it was a festival that came 7 weeks or as it were, 50 days after Passover. The Lord commanded the Jews to observe it in order to give thanks for the first fruits of their harvest. Pentecost is widely regarded as the birthday of the Church, because on this day, the disciples of Jesus were filled with power from on high to continue with the missionary work of Jesus, our Master. Invariably, Pentecost is the birthday of every Christian, when we are born again in the spirit and made anew and filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit to enable us fulfil our Christian obligations. The coming of the Holy Spirit upon us is a proof of Gods love and a fulfilment of the promise made by Jesus to send the Holy Spirit, the Advocate. This challenges us to be faithful to our promises, to our vows to God, to our nation, to our spouses, vocations and to one another. In a couple of hours and days, many of you will take the Oath of Office and will make a pledge to God; to the State and to the country. It is now left to be seen how faithful and sincere or otherwise we might live out these promises. Our commitment to our various responsibilities will prove if truly we have received the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has come upon us today with its manifold gifts to animate us to carry out our responsibilities at all levels, in the home, in the office, in the market places, in schools, at factories and many more. May our homes be born anew today, may husbands, wives, children, traditional, religious and secular leaders be born anew today. May followers, especially the Benue people be born anew today, so that they may help and not hinder our development, so that they will strive more eagerly for what they can give to Benue and not what they can take away from Benue. As we have received the Holy Spirit to preach the Good News, may we be faithful and selfless witnesses to the values of the Gospel. Amen.
With the gifts of the Holy Spirit falling afresh on all, we can be assured that God has already taken control of Benue State. In his nature, God makes available His spirit at the instance of every beginning. At creation, when God created the earth, the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered surface of the watery depths and the spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters (Genesis 1:2). Generally speaking, in the Old Testament the Spirit is not universal. He does not dwell on everyone. Rather the Spirit “comes upon” or “fills” only specific people for a special responsibility. Let us pick only but a few instances. In Exodus 31:2; 35:31, Bezalel was “filled” with the Spirit of God to develop and execute the artistic design for the Tabernacle. In the book of Numbers 11:17, 25, the 70 elders received some of the portion of Gods spirit which Moses had possessed. Gideon was able to deliver Israel because “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and the other judges (Judges: 6:34; 3:10; 11:29). Samson performed feats of strength when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Judges 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14).
In the New Testament, John the Baptist was “filled with the Holy Spirit” prior to his birth, and the Holy Spirit came upon the Virgin Mary in Luke 1:35; Luke 1:15, respectively. In John 20:22, Jesus breathed specifically on the disciples when he said, receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus himself acknowledged, the spirit of the Lord is upon me (Lk. 4:18). In as much as the presence of the spirit suggests the dynamic presence of God, it is important to be warned that the same spirit can also depart from us if we disobey God.
King Saul reigned for a protracted period of time. When he disobeyed, Samuel said to him, You acted foolishly…. You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” (1 Samuel 13:13-14; 1 Samuel 16:12-14).
Beloved in Christ, what happened to Saul can happen to any leader both secular and sacred. Therefore, the implication of the spirit departing from Benue State and her leaders is truly dreadful to contemplate. I call on the new administration to remain prayerful and always strive to seek the face of God on a daily basis. I sincerely beckon on all to support this administration with prayers and good counsel devoid of personal interest and sordid desires. Let us all work toward what promotes the common good of everyone.
A New Dawn
Your Excellency, 29th May, 2023 marks the birth of a new dawn. The expectations from the people of Benue and indeed the world are indeed high. Your victory was widely celebrated across the State and even beyond. The middle class, the young people voted for you overwhelmingly. They now feel that their future is guaranteed in your hands and they look forward to the fulfilment of their dreams. Do not disappoint them. The people of Benue State are trusting that you will simply be their governor, compassionate enough to understand, identify and empathise with the sufferings, struggles and challenges they face daily. We anticipate a new breath. The type that filters and infects all organs, structures of government be they civil service, labour market, political sphere, security and many more.
The reign of justice is our yearning. The fight against banditry, (fulanisation), is our dream as much as our collective responsibility. Your administration should uphold the fundamental rights of all. The dignity of every human person especially the poor, the marginalised, the deprived, the displaced in many communities and camps should not be compromised in any form. The concept of a new dawn means that a platform will be created for all citizens to excel and contribute towards the creation of wealth in the state. Again, a new dawn means, let labourers have work to do, and when they have done their work, may they surely be given their wages, as at when due.
Ruminations of Initiatives
At the wake of the return of democracy, our previous governments have issued beautiful blue prints. It will be nice to pick some of the salient aspects for implementation. It is important to guide against the arbitrary discontinuity of sustainable projects of previous administrations, if the money of tax payers is not to be taken for granted. The temptation to condemn same could be avoided. As a panacea, a project reconciliation committee could be an option to explore in order to facilitate long term as well as short term continuity and or discontinuity strategies.
Another document that needs to be revisited is the classic published by the late Bishop Athanasius USUH entitled: An Agenda for a Nation without Agenda. The book x-rays and recommends practical steps to be taken in the realisation of Economic, Political, Cultural, Educational, Security, Religious, agenda. I commend your brilliant blue print titled, Strategic Development Plan for a greater Benue. May this not remain at the level of a theory, but must be seen translating into practical realities.
The Pangs of Bickering
The new administration must avoid the idol of bickering. An idol is a representation of anything. Bickering by my English dictionary means petty quarrelling. This is usually considered to be a childish behaviour but often associated with adults who spend their energy and time complaining over what someone either has done badly or failed completely to do. On the one hand, Your Excellency, your administration must not be heard or seen bickering over inherited loans, inherited pensions, inherited jumbo appointments, and or inherited burdens. Rather, we hope to hear from you the practical measures with which you intend to tackle these challenges. On the other hand, the animators, the vehicle, the platform and or the persons that brought His Excellency to power must also allow him to work. Benue people need him to succeed. If he fails, we will all fail.
100 Days in Office
You must have anticipated that governance of a State is a herculean task. The people of Benue look forward to your 100 days in office, when you will enumerate your achievements and communicate same to them, grammatically, in past tense and not in the future tense. His Excellency speaks good English and knows the differences between a past tense and future tense. For instance, I have paid salaries, I have resettled the IDPs, I have built roads, I have provided jobs. Grammatically, these are past tenses. I shall pay salaries, I shall resettle IDPs, I shall build roads, I would provide jobs, I would end banditry and the like are grammatically, future tenses; which the Benue people no longer want hear about anymore. These are our expectations, namely, that upon 100 days in office, you will enumerate your achievements and the Benue people will verify them.
Sovereignty and Accountability
The new administration has a responsibility to be accountable before God and humanity. Your Excellency, patriotic citizens of the State have given over to you their sovereignty in the form of their votes at the just concluded elections. In his treatise on a single method for knowing Matter, Man and the State, Thomas Hobbes, one of the renaissance philosophers discusses this under his theory of social contract, a departure from John Locke, the British empiricists in his theory on moral and political theory. In his social contract theory, Thomas Hobbes says, men avoid the state of nature and enter civil society in agreement between individuals who have unanimously accepted to give up their rights of governing themselves and transferred such right to a sovereignty, either an assemblage of men not identical to any form of government, while also recognising the possibility of this social contract to sovereignty or with democracy in absolute and irrevocable terms.
By the virtue of the overwhelming votes that brought you to power, the Benue people have spoken their mind and have played their role in the deal of the social contract. Now, it is left for you to fulfil your terms of the contract with which you convinced the Benue people to vote for you. The gift of the votes was given to you in trust and in hope that you will not disappoint Benue State.
Conclusion
We commend Benue State, the new administration, the Church, the traditional institution, our families to the maternal solicitude of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Lady of the Benue and Mother of Perpetual Help. May the Holy Spirit guide you all those who will work with you for our State. May God bless these words in our heart. Amen.
