What’s your opinion on the National Conference?
Does the Christian body have any agenda to
promote?
I will not tell you what the agenda of the Christian
body is until it is made public in the conference. As
I have always said, we need to pray. Some people
will say ‘but things are still rough with all the
prayers’, but I tell you, Nigeria cannot survive
without prayers, even for one week. Prayer is the
glue that gums Nigeria together; if you remove that
glue, Nigeria will break into pieces. Let us put aside
tribal and religious sentiments. Nigeria has long
awaited this conference; so, I advise that those who
have not been chosen to attend the conference
should take away malice and sentiments and pray
for its success.
You just spoke about tribal and religious
sentiments, but these diversities are recognized in
the selection of delegates and each of them has his
agenda. Don’t you think this could have a negative
effect on the conference?
Nigeria is the United States of Africa. That’s why
our diversities and language heterogeneity have
not, all these years, disintegrated us. Like pieces of
clothes in tailoring are able to allow themselves to
be sewn together to form a beautiful dress, we
should absorb and accommodate one another. That
way, we will overcome. For instance, when the
matter of gay was being deliberated, the way we
joined forces despite our diversities helped us to
conquer and outlaw it. On this national conference, I
want to say that Nigeria is looking for solution and
will get it with prayers.
But many have argued that the national conference
is in no way a solution to our plethoric problems
and that Nigeria will disintegrate nevertheless…
Those are called political statements.
But some religious leaders are of the same
opinion…
*Archbishop God-Dowell Avwomakpa
Yes, that is because they are selfish; for the fact
that they are not seeing yesterday and are not also
looking to tomorrow. It looks rough now, but it shall
be smooth. We are not together as one nation by
accident. Lord Lugard may have made some
mistake yesterday, but God’s hand is in it. Even
Boko Haram is not enough to frustrate us. We just
have to speak up as one and against the killing of
Nigerians.
I told you from the beginning that Nigeria is the
United States of Africa. Always remember that
because it does not matter where we come from. In
1966/1967, I fought in the Biafran war and one of
our slogans was: ‘To keep Nigeria one is a task that
must be done’. We could have been able to let the
Igbo go away, but we didn’t because we still love
them.
Igbo, northerners and probably Niger Deltans have
done things that could make the nation to say ‘go’,
but that has not happened. We must look at our
existence with the eyes of God. The question is,
what is God thinking about this nation?; not what we
are thinking about this nation. These people are
telling us what they think about this nation but I tell
you, it is who God says we are that matters.
God speaks to His own, such as men of God like
yourself; what is He saying or has shown you about
Nigeria?
I have not seen splitting or disintegration bringing a
solution to Nigeria. Let us do the analysis. The North
and South split then the South is broken into three
or four, making almost every tribe to become a
nation. Then there’s going to be an embassy. You
have to take visa before you move from Lagos to
Warri for example.
If Edo decides to have its own embassy, you will
then have to take a visa from Lagos and then
another from Edo to get to Warri. We cannot imagine
how bad it can be. What will happen then will be the
case of a man who decides to let his wife go
because of a quarrel and sees the woman three
years later and begins to wish he did not let her go.
What I love in Nigeria is the fact that unbelievers
are here, Muslims are here, Christians are here and
we are all able to stay together. If we can learn to
respect one another’s religion and respect one
another as well, I believe we can forge ahead.
Some prophets have also reeled out prophecies,
declaring that the year 2015 will be disastrous for
Nigeria if Goodluck Jonathan is re-elected; what do
you make of that?
Having a dream for the entire country is not enough.
You must confirm whether God is the one giving you
that dream. Don’t forget that the Western world is
already manufacturing cameras and hiring offices
within Nigeria so they can make big news out of
their predicted dissolution of Nigeria in 2015. Let me
tell you something, Clemens Westerhof, one of
Nigeria’s former coaches, was asked when he
returned to his country (Holland) about what he had
to say about Nigeria and he said: “I learnt
something from Nigeria and that is the fact that if
they do not want something to happen and they
pray to their God, they are able to change that thing
overnight”.
You know, during the time of Babangida, there would
have been civil war and people were going home
already because Abiola was not allowed to be
president. There was going to be real bloodshed.
Some of us went into prayers declaring that
affliction will not come to us the second time, and
because of that prayer, the finger of God averted the
war, and it shocked everyone. So, I want those
men of God to go back and ask God if dissolution
and disaster are His thoughts for Nigeria.
Some people are of the opinion that the conference
is to aid agenda 2015 for Jonathan while others are
also condemning the amount of money spent on
delegates…
People do not know what is called ‘leadership’. Do
you know how much it is to for instance to invite a
man of my caliber to go and spend days, weeks and
months somewhere?
But you can do that free of charge for your
country….
This case doesn’t require gift because you’re going
to use your brain and spirit. The fact that those
people agreed to go alone is very important
because this conference will prove to the world that
Nigeria can still sit down and talk face to face. It is
a solution. Anytime there is problem and the two
parties involved are not discussing, know that it is
going to be bloody.
By the time they talk, even if they are shouting
during the first meeting, the second will be calmer.
Whether anybody says it is another way of bringing
the president in again, that is not a problem. The
entire country was three regions: Northern, Western
and Eastern. One region became 19 states and all
the rest two put together became 17. We’re in the
game of numbers; so, tell me how Nigeria can
create another state if the North says no.
You earlier said Nigerians are blessed with the
ability to overturn events through prayers; but why
is the insurgency in the North escalating despite
prayers?
People are very confused over this, but I know how
God works. Sometimes, He allows things to happen
so that His name can be glorified. You may not have
known that those who set up Boko Haram to
destroy the peace of Nigeria are on the run now. I
have spoken several times about this. If it were
not for God, the plan was to swallow up Nigeria.
Are you insinuating that Boko Haram can’t tear
Nigeria apart?
No. They can’t do it and they know it. Boko Haram
has its own temptations and they might have been
bewitched to do what they are doing. Otherwise, a
genuine Nigerian killing Nigerians would have felt it,
no matter how bad he is.
Nigeria just celebrated 100 years of existence
which some people called frustrating amalgamation
and some Nigerians were honoured, including the
late General Sani Abacha, whose nomination was
greatly criticized. Was that honour to Abacha
deserving and does Nigeria really have any reason
to celebrate?
Being able to live for only one day calls for
celebration. The fact that the place called Nigeria is
still there as one entity for 100 years is a miracle.
Nigeria has fought civil war where many young men
died; I was there. That it could come back together
is a miracle. Our existence calls for celebration,
though it was done in a very low key.
The fact that we did not take the grace of God for
granted but went ahead to glorify His name despite
our circumstances is more than enough to touch
God’s heart. The celebration alone can make God
do wonders in this country. Did you know Nigeria
before many of you were born? Nigerians were
eating only Uncle Ben’s rice; not anyhow rice. The
white people were coming to marry our daughters
so they could become our citizens.
This was why our first national anthem says
‘Nigeria we hail thee…’. These were the Oyinbos
hailing us. I remember when I traveled to
Washington DC in 1979 to represent the Christian
body. That was the time of Jimmy Carter. Some
white ladies there were begging to take photographs
with me and I said no! Our fifty kobo was one dollar
and when we were to return to Nigeria, we had
nothing to do with dollars; we gave them out! People
were coming into Nigeria from different parts of the
world and were taking from us. But I’m telling you,
Nigeria will rise again.
At what point would you say things went wrong in
this country and what do we do to get it right?
Nigeria was blessed. God doesn’t joke with them
where there is a multitude; remember the story of
Jonah and Nineveh. Now, at what point did we get it
wrong? You know Nigeria was coming up shortly
after the over-throw of the first military people and
somehow God opened doors through our oil and the
money was so much that we spent anyhow.
We did not know how to manage that money. Hence,
Awolowo was released unconditionally from prison
so that he could show Nigerians how to divide the
blessing. Money was actually distributed to the
grassroots and everybody was happy. No armed
robbery! Then, Nigeria said it needed to have a
festival to glorify the devil. So, it invited every
demon in Africa and we were celebrating Festac
1977.
They rounded off the festival and, when the people
who came for the festival went home, the demon in
the festival refused to go. You know what happened
thereafter? Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, first went
on strike; after that, it was students. Government
started to settle with money until the Structural
Adjustment Programme, SAP, came in.
What do we do to go back?
We must repent as a nation.
But we have more churches and religious homes
than we had in those days?
We’re talking of genuine repentance. Since then,
God has been waiting for somebody like Jonathan
to come to lead. Every president of Nigeria was
unique but you may not have known. People blame
Babangida but it was Gowon who broke the
relationship between Nigeria and Israel. Babangida
was the one who came to restore the ties despite
being a Muslim. Since then, no serving president
has ever made attempt to go to Israel on pilgrimage.
Gowon was a Christian and Obasanjo was a
Christian too but they didn’t go. It was Jonathan that
decided to go. And I assure Nigeria, we will see a
difference.
Sunday, 6 April 2014
2015 Break-Up Prediction: Nigeria will shock Western world – CAN leader
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