Last week was Holy Week, a week of the passion of Christ, and during that week 2000 years ago so much happened. But, one event stood out, an event that changed the course of humanity forever – the death of Jesus on a Roman cross at a place called Golgotha,  outside Jerusalem. However, my concern in this article is not to argue the historical exactitude of that event, or its theological ramifications, rather, my interest here, is on a lesser incident that occurred on the eve of His crucifixion, during what we now refer to as the ‘Last Supper’.

That evening was the eve of the Jewish feast of Passover when the deliverance from Egyptian bondage during the time of Moses was commemorated. The Passover meal was to be His Last Super with His disciples. So the table was set, and the disciples gathered around, and Jesus had very big plans for that evening, namely, the institution of the Holy Communion; yet something was missing, and as a true teacher, he used the opportunity to teach His disciples one of the greatest principles of leadership.

In John’s account of that evening, he said; “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” “When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.
Living in the 21st Century with cars and tarred roads, the true significance of the feet-washing incident is lost on us, but a little insight into 1st Century customs is sure to untangle the knot. Walking in sandals on the roads of Jerusalem in the first century made it necessary that feet be washed before a communal meal. Why? Because everyone ate reclining at low tables, and as a consequence, dusty and muddy feet were very much in the display. This very messy task was reserved for the lowliest of servants; but as you can imagine, as Jesus and His disciples came to the upper room, a place offered to Jesus for His Passover meal, none of the disciples deemed it necessary to carry out this all-important task.

Jesus washed their feet and taught them a great lesson. He said, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” Herein lays the crux of the matter, which among the leadership class in our country, from the President to the Councilor in the smallest ward of the smallest Local Government Area bends down to do any menial task for the comfort of those who elected them?.
Or, will members of the so-called “stakeholders” even allow those elected to serve, and lead by example?  I once had a clergyman in my Church who pastored one of our Churches in a place called Bundu Ama, in Port Harcourt. Every morning, he came   out to clean the gutter, and to keep the environment clean for those who came from the community to fetch water from the parsonage. The Paris Church Council did not take it very kindly with the Pastor. In fact, an emergency meeting was called to question his attitude, yet, since the Church was a small Church without a yardman, the Pastor was doing what Jesus would have done. This is just a small case, but it tells a tale of greater significance.

Why did the teacher wash the feet of His disciples? Notice that some might have stepped on the droppings of horses and donkeys, and now they have their smelly on display to the inconvenience of all who sat at the table. But after the teacher washed their feet, cleaning all the scum, they breathed better and were now able to enjoy their meal. This is the kind of leadership we must demand from leaders at every level in our country; leaders who will recognize their role as those who serve.

Interestingly, if you look at the etymology of the word ‘minister’ according to Wikipedia, this is what you find: “The term minister comes from Middle English, deriving from the Old French word ministre, originally minister in Latin, meaning “servant, attendant”, which itself was derived from the word ‘minus’ meaning ‘less’.” A simple reading of the entry on Wikipedia reveals  that our leaders have been chosen from among us, yet they are not above. No one in any political office today was coaxed to run for political office. No. They all ran for elective positions of their own volition for the purpose of service.

Then again, another critical lesson of the feet washing was the idea of making the led comfortable. The people elected into public office have a primary role in creating policies and running the government in such a manner that helps the people in their pursuit of happiness. Even though, the Nigerian Constitution may not have stated expressly like the American Declaration of Independence, the government has a duty of creating an enabling environment where citizens can thrive and pursue happiness on their own terms void of any forms of threats and intimidation.

When you compare this maxim and the behavior of the current crop of leaders in the country, you begin to wonder if the ordinary Nigerians are peasants in a conquered territory. Currently, the country has a health sector that is dying due to inadequate budgetary allocations for hospitals, universities, and medical research institutions. Even something as small as the hostels where medical students are housed, while they learn are in utter disrepair across the country. In some cases, whatever small budget allocation is made for the sector is first padded by members of the National Assembly, and most of whatever comes out eventually are then stolen by people in the ministry. As if that was not enough, doctors are poorly remunerated, and resident doctors are owed for months, yet a Senator has the temerity to sponsor a bill that is designed to stop doctors trained in the country from leaving for five years after the completion of their training.

What about security? Those who were elected to serve us are busy creating religious and ethnic tensions capable of sinking the country into a civil war with many actors. These men run to Abuja to squander the resources of the states and local government areas while their people are being killed like chickens. Others spend their time on foreign trips, visiting their children in foreign universities where in some cases some Nigerians are also part of the faculty in such universities. Yet, they have everything it takes to put the institutions in their various states on a favorable global ranking. But they are uninterested. Come May 29, 2023, Nigerians must demand from elected officials the kind of government they want to see. No one should say elections are over; therefore we must go to sleep. No. Nigerians must remind elected officials that the office of the citizen is the highest office in the land, and theirs is to serve. Politicians must be reminded that when they asked for our votes, they were like civil servants when they were seeking government jobs. In essence, they begged to apply; and now that they have been hired, they must know that they exist only for the comfort and well-being of the people.

The citizens  also have  a major role to play if a new Nigeria must emerge from the ashes of the recent contentious elections. The citizen must not be like the disciples who waited for their master, who they call LORD to wash their feet when in actuality, they could have washed their feet by themselves or washed one another’s feet. Just imagine what could happen if we come down our high horses to serve those around us. Just imagine what a country we could build.

By: Raphael Pepple