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Seadogs and Compol Akpoyibo

Those who must have read my piece titled Spiritual consultants and bizarre practices on this column in our September 8 12, 2008 edition and also read stories in the daily newspapers same time about the testimony and confession of the Lagos State Police Commissioner; Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo of his involvement in the occult world and preachment for righteousness would have noticed the coincidence.

When I was putting the write-up together and made the assertion somewhere in it that we live in an age when political power is no longer largely for those with managerial ability, intellectual prowess, transparency of character, leadership experience and patriotic zeal, but for cheats, thugs, zero sum players and occult practitioners I could not have imagined that the Lagos police boss was about to give a sermon that would give credence to the innocent submission of a columnist.

Though, Akpoyibo is certainly not in the class of cheats, thugs, half-baked or zero-sum players referred to in my write-up, as his academic and professional credentials speak so well of him, yet, his admonition and preachment of righteousness as a better alternative during a special church service at The Redeemed Evangical Mission, which has since become controversial especially within the Police Force places my argument on course.

The argument that the police boss ought not to have gone as far as revealing his involvement in cult activities as a member of the Pirate Confraternity in his undergraduate days and a subsequent partaker in cult or occult-related activities when he joined the police force to me, is not something too strange to make as a confession for one who has honestly chosen to live a new life in Christ and put old things away.

Akpoyibo's preachment and confession may not have been seen as something extra-ordinary since he is a mere mortal like any of us, but the truth is that not many mortals in his position would have the courage to openly and genuinely tell us who they have been in a nation held hostage over time by occult influence.

His open declaration for Jesus Christ, to a very large extent is a good riddance to bad rubbish in a society where many citizens have suffered over the years in the hands of those who would want to compel others to do their bidding due to occult connection and fetishism that instil fear on the lesser mortals.

For those who are troubled by the controversy created by a newspaper publication of Commissioner Akpoyibo's photo-graph in a prostrating mood, one would rather advise that they should not allow such to create room for unearthing what ordinarily is not necessary in the present circumstance.

Specifically, the recent media report attributed to the National Association of Seadogs (a.k.a. Pyrate Confraternity) wherein, Akpoyibo was denied as being one of the Association's members during his undergraduate days was uncalled for.

According to the story, the Pyrate Confraternity had stated that Akpoyibo tried to join the association during his undergraduate days at the University of Benin, “but he did not succeed.”

The issue here is not whether he was truly a member of the Confraternity or not while in the university, but the fact that he has chosen to distance himself from any semblance of occultism and fetishism when he knew the place of Christ in his life. By openly declaring for Christ, Compol Akpoyibo has not done anything wrong. Instead, he should receive accolades for his courage in joining to preach righteousness in a society so ravaged by sin of all sorts.

Nigeria is today bedevilled by corrupt practices in every sector and those who ought to prevent same have continued to be enmeshed in covenant relationship with the unknown gods.

We are daily fed with stories of multi-million and billion naira scams here and there but not a single of the reported cases has been duly prosecuted as all manner of obstacles are placed in the way of those championing the fight against such corrupt practices. The other day members of the Ndudi Elumelu-led House Committee on Power Sector probe were reportedly threatened with death if they proceeded further with the probe. Today, the report of that Committee is still hanging and the House (in turn) is now beset with the burden of probing the Elumelu Committee members over allegation of N100million bribery.

This may probably be one of the reasons the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Justice Emmanuel Ayoola was recently quoted as saying that the only way Nigeria can get out of corruption is through prayer as human efforts have failed.

Akpoyibo's admonition for righteousness as timely as it was; is therefore a challenge to all public office holders who still live with the false belief that they can make and unmake because of the occult power they wield at the moment, to turn a new leaf in their own interest as every false power would surely come to naught in the fullness of time.