Buhari’s administration must sit up

Bishop of Ijebu-North Diocese, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Right Reverend (Dr) Solomon Gbetogo Kuponu, speaks with Rita Okonoboh on religious and national issues. Excerpts:

Why did you decide to join the ministry?

I felt the call of God upon my life. I grew up moving from home to school to church. That was my lifestyle then. Also, my parents also influenced my activeness in church because of their active participation. My parents gave us very sound education and spiritual uplift. I was born into the Anglican Communion. St Thomas’ Church, Badagry, that is now a cathedral, is where we attended while growing up. I joined the choir and later became the choir master. At the same time, I was a member of the boys’ brigade. I was deputy captain of that organisation before I joined the seminary in 1980. I was ordained in Lagos in September 1983 and since then, I have been serving the Lord as a priest. I was consecrated bishop on September 11, 2005.

About Ijebu-North Diocese

People usually say the diocese was given to us on a platter of gold. Ijebu diocese gave birth to us, and that was in 2005. Since then, God has been very faithful to us and we have achieved so many things. The people are very cooperative. They have been spending their money, time and everything at their disposal for the propagation of the gospel of Christ.

Having been here since the establishment of Ijebu-North Diocese 12 years ago, when you consider your Lagos background which is very busy and here, which is largely calmer, how have you been able to adjust? Do you miss being in Lagos?

It’s not easy to leave a place like Lagos and come to an environment like this which is calmer. However, that has become a part of me. With God’s grace, I have been able to cope. Interestingly, Lagos isn’t too far from Ijebu-Igbo, so I go to Lagos when I have to be there. We have many connections in Lagos and we have also had generous donations to the church from Lagos. So, I can’t say that I miss staying in Lagos. I go there from time to time.

What are some of the activities for the forthcoming diocesan synod?

The third session of our fourth synod will take place from Thursday, June 1, till Sunday, June 4, 2017, and will be hosted by St. Luke’s Church, Oru. It will be a wonderful experience because the Lord has promised to do wonders. We are looking at the theme ‘If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and repent of their sins, I will heal their land.’ The opening service will hold on Thursday at St. Matthew Cathedral, Ojowo at 11am and Bishop Abel Ajibodu of Ile-Oluji Anglican Diocese will preach at that service. The presidential address will be delivered by the bishop during the opening ceremony on Friday at St. Luke’s Anglican Church, Oru, while Bishop Yinka Akinlade of Ife Diocese will preach at the closing service next Sunday which will also take place at St. Luke’s Church, Oru. On Saturday, we will have a guest lecture delivered by Venerable (Prof.) V.O.A. Adedipe, while our music festival will hold on Saturday afternoon and will feature all choir groups in the diocese. We know the situation in Nigeria now and that is why we are using this synod to tell people that we must go back to God. It is call to repentance so that God can change things for the better in this country.

In April, aside warning President Olusegun Obasanjo against a third term bid, you also lamented the economic situation of the country. 11 years later, we are singing the same tune, economic-wise. What do you think is wrong with Nigeria, in spite of the tens of thousands of pastors the country has?

What is happening in our country is not because God is not on the throne. Our problem has always been that of leadership. We have everything it takes to ensure we live comfortably, but unfortunately, our problem is that of leadership. The change mantra of the current administration is something we have been working on for many years. God is calling every one of us to change. Look at the level of corruption, both among the leaders and followers. I will commend President Muhammadu Buhari on his efforts to fight corruption. I pray God grants him good health. If every leader before him had been actively involved in calling us back to sanity, Nigeria would have been a wonderful place to live. Corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of our nation. Now, even on the roads, we see people asking for bribes unashamedly. Even for clerics, they have a way of asking. They are not afraid of anybody. And it is because of what people will eat. There is poverty written on the faces of many people, whereas, Nigeria is a very blessed country. We’re not using the wealth given to us by God for the good of all. Just a few Nigerians are enjoying this wealth. That is why ‘change’ must come in. There is a call on all Nigerians to change so we can have a better society. God is ready to do what He promised to do, but we must also be ready to do what God asks of us.

How would you assess the Buhari administration in the past two years?

It is simple; the performance has been poor. We thank God for the recent rescue of some of the Chibok girls, which we can say is a pass mark for the ruling class. However, that is not all we need. There’s hunger in the land. Free meals were promised in schools and we are still hoping it will go round. Unemployment is on the high side – people come to churches to ask me to help them find jobs.

When shall we be out of the woods? It is too bad for a nation like Nigeria to have youths in their millions out of jobs. That is why many of our children in their thirties and forties are not ready to get married. There are so many issues affecting us as a nation. The Buhari administration has been trying but they aren’t trying enough. The fight against corruption must be total. Corrupt persons are everywhere, not just in opposition parties. If they want to remain in power after two years, let them sit up.

Some people have said that Nigeria’s problems are also as a result of recycling old leaders. Some have countered that, saying that the youths are not ready for the responsibilities of political leadership. What is your take on that?

From my personal observation, the problem with Nigeria is that the military has not totally relinquished power; they are everywhere. They have the money and the influence. We are recycling the soldiers. That is why it is difficult for the youths of today to say they want to rule Nigeria. The elderly people in power are not ready to relinquish power.

How has recession affected the Diocese of Ijebu-North?

The church relies on God and the people of God. Whatever affects the people in the society, will, no doubt, affect the church and that is what is happening. The economy is biting hard on the church. People appeal to the church on a daily basis for support so they can survive. In fact, we now have professional beggars, who move from church to church to appeal for help. They don’t even mind that their faces are familiar. In one Sunday, they will visit three to four churches to beg, not minding if you recognise them. On Monday, you see them at the gate of the Bishop’s Court. Things have not been easy. However, our faith in God remains unshaken.

Do you support the calls for President Muhammadu Buhari’s resignation as a result of his health challenges?

We are all humans and President Buhari is one of us and is our leader. No one is too old to fall ill. Anyone can get sick at anytime. The best thing to do is to pray for him. When our president is ill, we are all ill. Let us continue to pray for him.

What would be your recommendations on making Nigeria better?

If we want Nigeria to recover fast, we must do the following: we must patronise made-in-Nigeria products; we should diversify our economy and actively focus on agriculture – something must be done about cattle rustlers, because even as a diocese, we lost so much when cattle invaded our farms and all the crops were destroyed; our leaders should take tough decisions to better the polity. The health sector must be taken as priority; it is a shame that our president had to be flown outside the country for medical treatment. Also, democracy should be made less expensive; we have seen what our legislators earn and to be frank, it is too much. We have to do something about it; democracy is too expensive. Let them bring it down to our level. If God will heal Nigeria, we must cooperate with God so we can have a better society that we can hand over to our children and the generations to come.