by Aigbokhan Emmanuel

Just in case you are oblivious to Nathaniel Bassey’s #HallelujahChallenge or any of the alias hashtags it goes by: #Olowogbogboro et al.; where have you been?

In spirit of the challenge’s intended purpose, I will tender mercy (by way of a recital) for the transgression of unpardonable oblivion (punishable by the old gods).

On the 31st of May, Nathaniel Bassey made an Instagram post indicating his intention to start a “Virtual Praise Night” that would last for 30 days (the whole of June). The post disseminated rapidly (esp. among worshipers) and response has been improbably massive. Just 12 days into the challenge, a bulk of the internet community (esp. those not actively participating in the challenge) were already bedeviled by how much success the program had accrued.

For context, I will do a breakdown with numbers. On 12th of June, it was observed that around 68,000 people joined the challenge on Instagram livestream, 50,000+ joined on Facebook livestream, 28,000 people made posts on various social media platforms with the hashtags – #HallelujahChallenge and #Olowogbogboro. These numbers are crazy. Say everyone who participated in the challenge online were to physically attend, only a few stadiums in the country (if any) can adequately cater to the crowd. In essence, this is the praise night to end all praise nights.

I happen to belong to the aforementioned group but my non-participatory status has been largely due to constraints that are either financial or physical. I can assure you, the spirit is willing. Quick question to worshippers that participate though: this may sound bland but how do you all get data to stream that much content?

But of course, for our peculiarity, some looker-ons delivered a harangue to participants of the challenge (stuff of persecution but let’s not go there). One noteworthy piece that caused a stir to disrupt civil order on social media was Madam Joy Isi Bewaji’s. Personally, I haven’t read it but from the backlash she’s gotten, I can safely presume to be cognisant of the content of her piece.

Amidst the public outrage, again, for our peculiarity, Madam Joy Isi Bewaji’s jabber was not inapposite. I equally had a thought not dissimilar to Madam Joy’s; although it wasn’t from a place of contempt. It was rather from a place of concern for our priorities as a nation.

Say we do heed Madam Joy’s retort and start up a #ScienceChallenge, for a number of reasons, with indifference being chief, reception among the Nigerian online population will most likely be minimal – nothing close to the response the #HallelujahChallenge got.

Playing the devil’s advocate with respects to the subject matter will leave me at the mercy of a throng of online worshippers albeit this is not my intention. Alternatively, I intentively advocate for a “new Nigeria”, one in which every convo, every challenge and every debate is prioritised equivalently; religious or scientific, disregardless.

 

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