By Banji Ayoola
Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, and the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence, Dr Samuel Uche, on Monday expressed worries at the numerous challenges confronting Nigeria, and offered different solutions to avert wreckage.
While the Prelate called for a return to the parliamentary system, the Governor suggested continuance of the ongoing national discourse, but with deep thoughts.
The duo, who spoke at Wesley University, Ondo at the opening of the 37th Council of Methodist Bishops of Nigeria, both condemned disobedience of court order by government under whatever guise.
Akeredolu, who declared the council open, laid the responsibility of steering the ship of Nigeria away from the precipice on the shoulders of politicians and the clerics across the country, whom he noted were important segments of the society.
On his own, Uche called for local security arrangement or state police, a return to regionalism and parliamentary system.
Noting that disobedience has terrible consequences, the Prelate regretted that Nigerians do not obey the laws made by themselves as typified in the “various forms of militancy, disobedience to Court orders on the part of the powers that be especially the government of our Country.”
According to him: “We can see that in Nigeria there is brazing willful disobedience to the rule of law and order; hence the Country is about heading towards anarchy, unless it repents from now.
He said: “Our inability to keep the laws we make for ourselves have led to impunity, disorderliness, tribalism, scism and other forms of evil.”
In view of these challenges, the cleric recommended that “each State should have her local security arrangement if not State Police Force” to be managed by each state’s Chief Security Officer who is familiar with the terrain.
“This will make it possible for criminals to be fished out easily and promptly and made to face the consequences of their misdemeanor,” he said.
More fundamentally, the cleric recommended that more powers should be given to the nation’s component units; while the existing six geo-political zones “become strong regions with states under them and let each region tap the resources with them and pay an agreed percentage of their income to the centre.”
In his words: “This will curb many of the unpalatable incidents of going to the center with cp-in-hand to beg for allocations by States. This will also help put in place within the confederating units, the ability of each zone to struggle to develop her place.
“Regrettably our oil boom has become old-doom, since it has madesome States, to become lazy. We should therefore jettison the very expensive Presidential system of Government and return to the Parliamentary system.”
On his own, Akeredolu, who was also disturbed by the numerous challenges confronting the nation, said that by their calling, the clerics as spiritual leaders, wield great influence on the people and their political leaders whom they should ceaselessly pray for, in line with Divine injunction recorded in both the Bible and the Koran.
Nevertheless, the governor was optimistic that Nigeria would overcome the challenges and launch herself on the pathway to her greatness.
His words: “It would be an understatement for me to say that this country today is experiencing challenges. The Prelate in his speech has tried to enumerate some of these challenges.
“I am sure we have potentials of shaking the belief of even the most patriotic citizens, that we have great potentials in this country. A lot of us believe so that the challenges we have would be something we can shake off at any time. As we continue to march towards nationhood, it is incumbent on all men and women of goodwill to contribute in creating a polity of which all of us can be proud.”
He said: “I believe that the responsibility of steering the ship of state that is more or less moving towards the precipice like Nigeria, for us to steer it away from danger of wreck, lies on the shoulders of politicians and you my lords the clergy.
“To steer our ship of state that is almost moving towards wreck is in your hands. A lot can be done by you. A lot should be done by the politicians. We have a role to play; we are important segments of the society – politicians and the clergy, very important because politicians would involve legislators. I know that the judiciary is also as important, but because they are not here today, I want to talk about two of us, politicians and the clergy.
“We are important segments and I can assure you. Taking a closer and critical look, we should complement each other. We cannot continue to condemn each other.”
Akeredolu charged the clergy to assume the role of the old prophets who fearlessly checkmated corruption, injustice and misrule of many dynasties, saying: “I believe that in our intervention, we must be complementary. While the politicians in government are either elected or appointed to serve people, my lords, you play a very important role as servants of God and servants of the people. We are elected. Yes.
“But you are there to play a very important role. Your position is to none but to God. You cannot be afraid of any terrestrial power. When politicians live under some fear, you should not. I know God is nearer to you than me. I know that you must be bold all times just like His Eminence did today, to speak truth to power.
“Nobody is going to run away from what you tell us. Where we are wrong, speak truth to power. And I remember that whenever leadership falters, there is no way, we do not know everything.
“But you should not be afraid of them. You are bold. The voices you bear must be unique, distinct and disable. You must be clear about what you say. You must assume the role of the old prophets. This is what is lacking. To assume the role of the old prophets who checkmated many political dynasties.
“It is not by prediction that would never come true. We are all faced with it. This person would win, this would not win, and the person you say would not win would win. So what happens? But when the old prophets talk it must come to pass. It must because they only said what God sent them. And He is not One that would say I am withdrawing it, I am not saying it again.
“When He speaks, He speaks. And whatever He says comes to pass. I would implore you Sirs; say what He says and not what we want to hear. Because a number of times some of us look at it and say I don’t hear words but I can just follow directions. But I thank Him. He has been leading me. My steps are directed by Him.
“But as I said, so many prophets checkmated all those political dynasties. It is important. You should not be seen as partisan. It is important because the moment you are partisan you lose our respect; except you don’t agree with me. You should not be seen as partisan. You should not be seen as partisan even of corruption. There are things you cannot defend.
“We cannot be partisan to injustice. You must be bold to condemn injustice when you see it. And that is why in the speech of the Prelate, His Eminence, he said government is disobeying court order. We cannot afford to do that. We cannot disobey court order. Why? No matter what it is. No matter how it affects us. When the court has said this, we should be able to obey it as a government.
“Disobeying court order as His Eminence condemned it, should be condemned. And that is why I said that you cannot sit down and be partisan to injustice. And you cannot be partisan to bigotry. You are the ones to tell us where to go.
“I believe that the intervention of any priest in the political affairs however must be measured. I want you to limit your social interaction with these politicians because that is the only way you earn your respect. If politicians call, you are all there, you are seen here and there.
“Let no priest or any association purporting to protect the interest of the adherents of a particular religion be sent to this arena of conflict. It’s not necessary. The moment they start their trouble, let us get to our church, be on our pulpit, do our preaching, leave them to their problem.
“For me because there is no way you can win this argument. If our president went to OIC, they would jump to condemn him. They would show presidents who are Christians who went to OIC. What do we do? We would now look as if we didn’t know what we are saying. Virtually all the presidents have been attending OIC, but because we saw one go, and we jump into it, we have to be very careful.
“As the country passes through these trying moments, it is expected that you would continue to pray for us. I know you pray. I know you pray for us. And I was saying this somewhere where I had iftar with our moslem brothers.
“They were praying. They prayed for government. I said you people pray for us and I said if only for that, I would continue to thank my God Who, both in Bible, and Koran has directed that you should pray for those in government.
“I know that you pray for us. I want to say Sir, let this prayer be ceaseless because you never know the impact. A number of us would have gone totally astray, but for your prayers. Your prayer is keeping the ship of the state.
“You are praying for a leader, the leader is the captain of the ship. So it is only your prayer that can keep that ship steady. And to make it more interesting, you are also in that ship. Not that you are praying from outside, you are in the ship. You can’t be elsewhere. Somebody is leading; the captain is in the front. That ship must never wreck. I say that ship must never wreck.
“It is your prayer that would prevent it from hitting the rock. So please pray for peace in the land. We need it. We are confronted daily; the issue of kidnapping, herders and farmers, another dimension – suicide. I thought if we are buying car or you bought a particular vehicle, somebody may want to copy you, buy the vehicle.
“In Nigeria when you start something, everybody would come there, which is alright. How can somebody start suicide and everybody is going to commit suicide. How? May be we don’t know what suicide is. It is important for us to let people know that life has no part two. The moment it goes off that is the end. It is not a film. The moment you go, you go; you are not coming back again. I don’t know how we copy suicide.
“A lot many things are coming up. And I believe that our churches and mosques have greater roles to play. There is not much we (politicians) can do. We don’t have this opportunity all the time, but you have this opportunity to talk to us at least once a week. That means every Sunday or every Friday, and where we have anointing services, so you have opportunity to talk to us.
“People listen more to you, not to me as a politician. How many times do I come here to talk to students? You are the ones. So I want to beg you; I know that your utterances must be different from those of us who are politicians. Your utterances must be markedly different from polemics of politicians. Politicians are as they speak, you never can place them.
“But people want to listen to you because they believe and trust in you. Your utterances must be different from ours. They must. Your calling separates you from common observance of politics. What we politicians do, your calling separates you totally from it.
“The preference of politicians must be different from yours. To say we can come together and work together, it cannot work. You must stand out in every gathering. By this hood you stand out. By the cape you put on your head unlike my own cap, you stand out. You must stand out. There is need for it. There is no other way because you have a major role to play.
“If you gather people together, bishops, archbishops and co, you are more than politicians because there is no ward where you don’t have over ten churches. There are wards you have over 30 churches. That means every leader of that church is a leader of that ward. And politicians would have one chairman in that ward and you are about chairmen in a ward. So you must be different. You can control the minds of the people. They would follow you. As the saying goes, religion is like opium, seriously. People are ready to follow you.
“I believe you should stand out. I hope that this council at this very important meeting would address issue of nationhood in our country. The prelate has said it all. The theme, the prelate has said much and the Kabiyesi the Osemawe has said a lot about the theme.
“Sir as a lawyer let me adopt all you have said about the theme. It has to do with obedience. It is clear to all of us; and sacrifice. Discipline and obedience are the same. You have to be disciplined. We should be disciplined like Joseph who ran away when temptation came.
“Obedience is more important than sacrifice. Obedience is not easy but it is a thing we have to learn. I want to enjoin us here to ruminate deeply over this theme. I want you also to ruminate over the challenges the country is facing. I want you to come up with suggestions. Let us with one voice for instance condemn corruption in our land. It is an act of disobedience to be corrupt. Condemn corruption in our land.
“Let us support all those who promise and work towards alleviating the deplorable condition under which our people exist. People who make sacrifice and set out saying I must work for people who vote for me, and they go out and do it. Let us commend them for their worth.
“Let us chastise where necessary, but let this chastisement come from you as spiritual fathers; discharge this spiritual obligation with love. You cannot do it with annoyance. You can do this with some measure of love.
“You are our spiritual fathers and the position you stand for us is that of nobility and truth. Worthy is the lamb.”
