Dr Adesina Sanyaolu, a cleric is the Senior Pastor, Chapel Of Holiness Evangelical International, Aboru, Lagos, he recently spoke with some journalists in Lagos on the state of the nation and why he believes that despite the failure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in meeting its promises to the people, Nigeria will not breakup. PATRICK OKOHUE reports.
What is your assessment of the present situation in the country, will you say that government has delivered on its electoral promises?
For me nothing has changed. You would recall that before this present APC-led Federal Government came on board, there were lots of expectations from Nigerians.
During the campaigns, President Muhammadu Buhari, the then APC candidate was regarded as a hero by many people.
Some Nigerians believed that as soon as Buhari assumes office the various socio-economic problems confronting Nigerians would come to an end.
But today, what story do Nigerians have to tell? What we have today are tales of disappointments. Buhari has not lived up to expectation.
Today many Nigerians are wallowing in hunger and poverty. Many have become disillusioned, losing hope and have becoming despondent.
I’m not a politician, but a man of God, so I’m talking reality; I’m talking with a liberal mind like those Biblical prophets in the olden times who always spoke out against bad leadership.
I’m talking of great men of God like Prophets Elijah, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Jonah.
These great men of God never kept quiet, they spoke out against bad leadership during their time and they were defenders of the people.
I draw my inspiration from them, and for that reason, whenever the need arise to talk about government and governance, I will not hesitate to do so.
But what some Nigerians are saying is that Buhari inherited the present socio-economic crisis from the previous administration, and that we should give him time to put everything back in order, do you agree?
That is a lame excuse. What did Buhari’s party promise Nigerians, ‘change’, and the impression APC gave the entire nation is that it has the magic wand to fix those social ills.
So, why the excuse upon excuses being given by APC almost on daily basis. Nigerians voted for APC to deliver dividends of democracy and not to be giving excuses.
What will be your advice to President Buhari now?
I believe that where there is a will, there will always be a way. The reality of the situation on the ground in Nigeria today is that people are hungry.
Nigerians are getting more impoverished, President Buhari should not let some selfish advisers deceive him that all is well.
If those people that can give Buhari support to turn things around for the better are not in APC, the President as an elder-statesman should reach out to other Nigerians that can work with him to get positive results.
Everything should not be about party affairs only, national interests should be considered as paramount first.
Nigerians are peace loving, and their needs are not beyond what government can provide. What Nigerians want is good governance that will ensure that there are abundant employment opportunities, abundant food, functioning infrastructural facilities.
But today, everything is in a state of decay. Many are out of jobs as a result of epileptic power supply. We don’t have drugs in our hospitals, and the state of the roads are nothing to write home about.
Desperate and frustrated Nigerians have now resorted to self-help to survive, and this is why you have an upsurge in crime. This is why you have kidnappers and armed robbers all over the place unleashing violence on hapless Nigerians.
Buhari should do the needful now, otherwise we are sitting on keg of gunpowder which can explode any time.
With the way things are going, many Nigerians are expressing fears that situation may lead to a revolution, even some ministers of God are prophesying the break-up of Nigeria, what’s your take on this?
God has not revealed to me that Nigeria will break up. But God is not happy with the way those in authority are treating the people. The suffering in the land is getting too much.
However, Nigerians should not be surprised by the unfolding developments in the country. Before 2015 general elections, God revealed to me that APC would win the polls, but that they won’t be able to make any appreciable impact.
That APC would form government but that under APC Nigerians will agonise and that sufferings will increase in the land.
Eventually, the election took place, APC won but look at what is happening in the country today.
I even told some APC leaders shortly after APC defeated PDP that even though they have won the elections, but that the party will not make any appreciable impact on the lives of Nigerians.
What about the prophecies on break-up of Nigeria?
Like I said earlier, God has not revealed to me that Nigeria will break, but my advice to some prophets is that they should not strike fear into the minds of hapless Nigerians.
You know some Nigerians are gullible, they believe anything they are told.
But as for me and the Living God I serve, God has not told me that Nigeria would break. My warning goes to fellow men of God, some of whom tried to play upon people’s intelligence, using psychology and emotion to proclaim what God has not spoken.
Again, I strongly believe that ministers of God should do more to fight social ills in the society.
They should be social crusaders. Because of what some ministers of God want to eat, they are afraid of telling our leaders the true message of God.
They always tell our leaders what will be sweet to their ears only. This is not right. They must be true servants of the Most High God.
Some have expressed disappointment with the government over the failure to address the issue of poor infrastructures, bad road, and epileptic power supply, do you agree with those who expressed such disappointment?
Yes. I completely agree with them. Government’s performance in these critical sectors are nothing to write home about.
If we had standard health facilities and modern hospitals, why should President Muhammadu Buhari have to travel to London for treatment?
Buhari was able to travel to London because he is a very privileged Nigerian, but what about millions of others that are very indigent?
Power is critical to development and economic growth, even for small scale ventures to thrive, there is need for stable power supply. Here the power sector is almost comatose. Industries are closing down or relocating.
For the health sector, is it not a national shame that Nigeria don’t have cancer screening machines.
Many people that want to do screening for cancer have to travel to Ghana, is this not a shame? Yet we are an oil producing nation. The major problem confronting Nigeria is lack of patriotic leadership.
The moment we get right leadership, things will change for better, and we will start getting it right.
But some people are saying that kudos should be given to Buhari’s administration, especially on the war against corruption and insecurity, especially on Boko Haram, don’t you agree?
What is so special about that? I have not seen anything spectacular that Buhari has done. Do you know that some people have also observed that the war against corruption under Buhari is selective,
or what do you say about a situation whereby it is mostly members of a particular political party that are being arraigned and charged to court?
Are they telling us that APC members are saints? The war against corruption should go round. It should not be selective and discriminatory.
On the issue of security, especially the crushing of Boko Haram that is now being touted as one of the achievements of Buhari’s administration, God revealed to me that Boko Haram is not yet dead.
Early this year, it was divinely revealed to me that Boko Haram will take another deadly pattern which will lead to increase bloodshed and loss of lives. Is this not happening already?
There are reports of some people and interest groups coming together to form another mega party to challenge APC, what is your reaction to that?
Formation or emergence of another political association is inevitable. I see the APC disintegrating. Some governors and other bigwigs elected on the party’s platform will exit the party and team up with others to form a new party.
The Federal Government will not take kindly to it, and attempts will be made to arrest some people and frame them up on charges bordering on treason, but this will backfire. Government should be careful.
It should be tolerant of opposing views. We are in a democracy, it should not be tempted to take some actions which will look anti-democratic.
Some people have suggested that all elected public office holders should volunteer a cut in their salaries and allowances as a form of sacrifice in this period of economic recession when many workers are being owed salaries, what’s your view on that?
If our elected leaders are real and genuine patriots, do they need anybody to advise them to do such before they on their own should volunteer to do so.
Today how many Nigerians can afford three square meals a day, but yet our elected lawmakers and other public office holders are collecting jumbo pay.
Tell me, whose interests are these people serving, electorates’ interests or their own interests? Obviously they are serving their own personal interests and this is unpatriotic.
I believe we should even reduce salaries and allowances of public office holders. Taking this step will enable us to know those who truly want to serve the people.
Quote
During the campaigns, President Muhammadu Buhari, the then APC candidate was regarded as a hero by many people. Some Nigerians believed that as soon as Buhari assumes office the various socio-economic problems confronting Nigerians would come to an end. But today, what story do Nigerians have to tell? What we have today are tales of disappointments. Buhari has not lived up to expectation.
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